Valdosta State University

Glen McDonald

MGMS 7401

Geological Change and Time

Precambrian

The Precambrian eon is one of Earth’s earliest Eons and is actually a Supereon with smaller divisions. Not much is known about this eon though it does cover 88% of geologic time.

Precambrian 4600-540 MYA

The Precambrian is broken in to the smaller divisions of Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic periods.

In this picture of the Proterozoic is the supercontinent Rodinia.

This Era was divided up into periods called the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and the Permian .

Paleozoic Era

The major land mass that occupied the Earth’s surface for the majority of the Paleozoic Era was Gondwana.

Paleozoic Era: Cambrian

Gondwana is still dominate at this time with smaller continents around.

The major ocean of the time is the Panthalassic Ocean.

Paleozoic Era: Ordovician

During the Early Carboniferous period the continents of Euramerica and Gondwana begin to collide forming the Appalachian Mountains 356 MYA.

Paleozoic Era: Early Carboniferous

Many plants began to form during the Carboniferous periods. These plants flourished in the warmer climate provided by being closer to the equator. Modern coal was created from the plants of this period.

Paleozoic Era: Late Carboniferous

The major land mass at the end of the Paleozoic Era was Pangea. While some continents look intact this land doesn’t look much like the continents of today. Located around the equator these tropical conditions would be much different from ice covered southern part located near the pole.

Paleozoic Era: Permian

Dominated by cycads and ferns. The massive plant life gave rise to coal swamps and increased the oxygen in the atmosphere.

Carboniferous Forestshttp://youtu.be/c2lJbjoOuNs

The Mesozoic Era is broken into smaller periods similar to the Paleozoic. These periods are the Triassic, Jurassic, and the Cretaceous.

Mesozoic Era

At the end of the Triassic Period Pangea begins to break apart starting the formation of the Atlantic Ocean.

Mesozoic Era: Triassic

During the late Jurassic Period Pangea is being torn apart revealing more of the Atlantic. India begins its separation from Africa too.

Mesozoic Era: Jurassic

This time period gave rise to the Dinosaurs.

Early Jurassic –Cretaceous

http://youtu.be/D3MI7BkFdUI

India is fully separated from Africa and Antarctica. The Tethys and Panthalassic Oceans gave rise to the Indian and Pacific Oceans..

Mesozoic Era: Cretaceous

Mesozoic Era: CretaceousDuring the majority of this Era the climate was warm with climates getting cooler after the separation of Pangea. Majority of continent was fixed above the equator providing the warmer temperature.In the Cretaceous we can see the formation of the Rockies too.

The Cenozoic was broken into three period. The Paleogene, Neogene, and smaller Quaternary.

Cenozoic Era

When India separated from Antarctica and Africa it collided with Asia forming the Himalayans.

Cenozoic Era: Paleogene Period: Eocene Epoch

The Continents are finally resembling how they appear today during the middle Miocene. Some 14 MYA.

Cenozoic Era: Neogene Period: Milocene Epoch

By the end of this future world scenario almost all land has recombined. Australia and Antarctica form one continent and the others form a larger continent. A small inland sea exist as well as a large pacific ocean. Climate will be extremely warm in this future scenario. Large areas of land close to the equator and in tropical regions.

Future World +250 Ma

Scotese, C. (2010). Paleomar project: Earth history. Retrieved from

http://www.scotese.com/earth.htm

Google images. Retrieved from www.google.com

Wikipedia resources. Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com

Mesozoic Era the time of the Kings. Youtube. Video Retrieved from http://youtu.be/D3MI7BkFdUI

First life with David Attenborough. Youtube. Video Retrieved from http://youtu.be/c2lJbjoOuNs

Work Cited