Baltica
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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.