Baltica

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Baltica (green)
Baltica (green)

Baltica is a Late Proterozoic-Early Palaeozoic continent that now includes the East European craton of northwestern Eurasia. Baltica was created as an entity not earlier than 1.8 Ga. Before this time, the three segments/continents that now make up the East European craton were in different places on the globe. Baltica rode on top a tectonic plate, known as the Baltic Plate. This is a brief history of Baltica:

[edit] Partial history of Baltica in chronological order

  • ~1.8 billion years ago, Baltica was part of the major supercontinent Columbia.
  • ~1.5 billion years ago, Baltica along with Arctica and East Antarctica were part of the minor supercontinent Nena.
  • ~1.1 billion years ago, Baltica was part of the major supercontinent Rodinia.
  • ~750 million years ago, Baltica was part of the minor supercontinent Protolaurasia.
  • ~600 million years ago, Baltica was part of the major supercontinent Pannotia.
  • ~Cambrian, Baltica was an independent continent.
  • ~late Ordovician, Baltica collided with Avalonia (most of modern Western Europe)
  • ~Devonian, Baltica collided against Laurentia, forming the minor supercontinent Euramerica.
  • ~Permian, all major continents collide against each other for forming the major supercontinent Pangaea.
  • ~Jurassic, Pangaea rifted into two minor supercontinents: Laurasia and Gondwana. Baltica was part of the minor supercontinent Laurasia.
  • ~Cretaceous, Baltica was part of the minor supercontinent Eurasia.
  • ~Present, Baltica is part of the forming minor supercontinent Eurafrasia.

[edit] See also