EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Reconstructing the ancient arrangement of the continents requires paleomagnetic paleoclimatic geochronologic tectonic sedimentologic biogeographic fossil data EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleomagnetic data EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleomagnetic data EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleomagnetic data EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleomagnetic data EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleomagnetic data Paleomagnetic evidence provides information on the latitude at which the rocks formed The orientation of the continent can be determined from the direction to the paleomagnetic pole as recorded by bits of iron in the rock Longitudes however cannot be determined which accounts for some of the differences in the paleogeographic reconstructions EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleoclimatic data Using rock types paleoclimate can be determined EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleoclimatic data Paleoclimatic evidence comes from environmentallysensitive sedimentary rock types Glacial deposits EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleoclimatic data Paleoclimatic evidence comes from environmentallysensitive sedimentary rock types Coal swamp deposits EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleoclimatic data Paleoclimatic evidence comes from environmentallysensitive sedimentary rock types Reef carbonates EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleoclimatic data Paleoclimatic evidence comes from environmentallysensitive sedimentary rock types Evaporites EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Paleoclimatic data Paleoclimatic evidence comes from environmentallysensitive sedimentary rock types Evaporites EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS PALEOGEOGRAPHY Ice House vs Hot House EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS LATE NEOPROTEROZOIC PALEOGEOGRAPHY Gondwanaland Laurentia Baltica Siberia EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS LATE NEOPROTEROZOIC PALEOGEOGRAPHY EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS LATE NEOPROTEROZOIC PALEOGEOGRAPHY Late Proterozoic Glaciation Ice House EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS CAMBRIAN PALEOGEOGRAPHY Cambrian named after Cambria latin for Wales named by Adam Sedgewick 1830 s EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS CAMBRIAN PALEOGEOGRAPHY Continents have moved off poles Glaciers have melted Sea level rising Epeiric seas begin to develop EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS CAMBRIAN PALEOGEOGRAPHY Ouachita Trough Global temperatures warm Formation of Iapetus Ocean proto Atlantic Ouachita Trough begins to develop EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS CAMBRIAN PALEOGEOGRAPHY Early Cambrian EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS CAMBRIAN PALEOGEOGRAPHY Early Cambrian Shallow seas cover many continents Evaporite rocks deposited near equator EARLY PALEOZOIC EVENTS CAMBRIAN PALEOGEOGRAPHY Development of a shallow epeiric or epicontinental sea Continent situated on the equator so waters most likely warm Significant carbonate deposits accumulate Deep water sediments shales are accumulating on margins