Baltica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Baltica in 550 mya (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 Afro-Eurasia.