The Geology of The Paleozoic Era

The Geology of the
Paleozoic Era
The Paleozoic Era.
• Geologic periods in Paleozoic record 7% of

Earth’s history
• Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian
Carboniferous (Miss., Penn.) Permian
• Boundaries in the major divisions originally
defined by changes in the fossil record
• Start of the Paleozoic used to be defined by
appearance of first easily visible fossils; later
lowered to include small shelly fauna; then
lowered further to first appearance of complex
branching trace fossils.
Base of the Cambrian system
Trace fossil Phycodes pedum

New modes of locomotion
Welsh Lower Paleozoic
Prof Adam Sedgwick (Cambridge) studied the
Cambrian (including the Ordovician) based on
superposition and structural geology.
Roderick Murchison described and mapped the Silurian
based on fossils. Together they defined the Devonian
System in Devon and Cornwall.
Murchison established the Permian in Russian.
Charles Lapworth separated the Ordovician.
Review: Origin of names
Paleozoic Overview
• Global tectonic theme of the Paleozoic -
assembly of the supercontinent, Pangaea.
• Deposition due to transgressions (and

disconformities due regressions) of shallow
continental (epeiric) seas. Interiors of continents
were frequently flooded.
• Formation of mountain belts at edges

– tectonic activities associated with the assembly of
Pangaea.
Transgression and Regressions
Extinctions:
Paleozoic Era key events
http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/haaramo/Meteor_Impacts/Middle_Paleozoic_impacts.htm
Rifting raises water, moves plates, which later collide.
Assembly of
Pangea
Gondwana/Laurasia
Catskill Clastic Wedge

Continues subd Iapetus South docks rest Avalonia
Old Red SS
Iapetus floor subducted Scotl Scan NE Can

Lauentia and Baltica collide - Laurasia
Avalonia collides with Laurentia

Paleozoic Global Geology
• Six major Paleozoic continents are
recognized after Rodinia breakup
• Gondwana - S. continents, India
• Laurentia - North America, Greenland,
part Gr. Britain
• Baltica – Northern Europe
• Siberia – Most of Northern Asia
• Kazakhstania – part Central Asia
• China - All of SE Asia and SE China
Paleogeographic
Reconstructions and Maps
• Geologists want to create maps of the

Earth as it was in the past,
• correctly position the continents for

different time periods, and
• reconstruct geography on the continents.

What data are used to do this as
accurately as possible?
• Paleomagnetism Latitude
• Biogeography - Distribution of flora and fauna.
• Climatology - Climate sensitive sediments
• Tectonic Patterns – continuation of mountains
• Can’t use Magnetic Stripes on ocean floor-
Mesozoic and later
Global paleogeography for the
Cambrian period
All six continents occur at low paleolatitudes
Ocean waters circulate freely/ poles appear ice-free
Epeiric seas cover much of continents except Gondwana
Highlands in N Gondwana, Eastern Siberia, Central Kazakhistan
Siberia - Russia (E of Urals), Part Asia

Six major Paleozoic continents are recognized after Rodinia breakup Kazakhstania - Kazakhstan
Laurentia - North America, Greenland, Scotland Rotated 90o China - All of SE Asia and SE China
Baltica - Russia (W of Urals), Scandinavia Gondwana - S. continents, India
Ordovician - Silurian
SILURIAN
– Silurian collision of Baltica/Laurentia
Caledonian Orogeny, suturing forms Laurasia
-----------------------------------
ORDOVICIAN
– Ordovician Gondwana moved 40o S to a South Pole
location (Glaciers formed, we find L. Ord. tillites)
– Baltica moved S, then N
– Microcontinent & Island Arcs collided with Laurentia
(led to Taconic Orogeny) narrowing Iapetus
How do we know?
L. Ordovician biogeography of Carolinites genacinaca
Confirms paleomagnetic latitudes
From McCormick & Fortey 1999.

J. Paleontol. 73(2):202-18.)
Trilobite Paleogeography
Global paleogeography
Mid Ordovician to Silurian
Siberia moved from equatorial
to northern temperate latitudes
Small piece of
Avalonia hits in
Ordovician
Baltica moved S, then N
and collided with Laurentia, rotated 30o Gondwana moved 40o S to a
South Pole location (Late Ord. tillites)
Remember Hawaiians
And Emperor Chain
Evidence of changing directions
Varying rifting pushes
http://www.geodynamics.no/Platemotions/500-400
M. Ordovician
http://www.gl.rhbnc.ac.uk/seasia/Bio
eog_pdfs/Fortey_Cocks.pdf
Saucrorthis
Mostly distinct faunas

Continents were not close
Devonian
– Acadian Orogeny in the Appalachian

– Other orogenies: Antler (Cordillera) and
Ellesmere (north margin of Laurentia)
– Gondwana moves to higher southern
latitudes. All other continents at low northern
latitudes.
Paleogeography Early Devonian
Continued collision of Baltica/Laurentia formed Laurasia, closed Iapetus Ocean
Caledonian Orogeny in B/L finishes E. Dev
Acadian Orogeny in the Appalachians
folds older rocks M. Dev.
Other orogenies: Antler (Cordillera) and Ellesmere (north margin of Laurentia)

Gondwana moves to higher southern latitudes.
All other continents at low northern latitudes.
Oklahoma and Morocco Trilobites from the Devonian
Looks like Oklahoma was close to Morocco
Dalmanitidae
Reedops
Dicranurus
Devonian Faunal Similarities
Final Assembly of Pangea
• Laurasia collides with Gondwana to form
Hercynian Mts. Late Paleozoic forms Europe
• Pennsylvanian – Siberia collided with

Kazakhstania, forming Altai Mts.
• Permian – Kazakhstania collided with Baltica,

forming the Urals
• Single continent surrounded by Panthalassa

Ocean w Tethys Sea
Gondwana – Laurasia collision
Hercynian orogeny
North and South Europe suture

Hercynian Orogeny continuous w Allegheny
Orogeny about 300 mya
Final Assembly of Pangaea
• After the suturing of Gondwana and Laurasia
(includes Hercynian and Allegheny Orogenies),
• Then:
• Siberia collided with Kazakhstania in the

Pennsylvanian, forming the Altai Mountains.
• Kazakhstania collided with Baltica in the

Permian, forming the Ural Mountains.
Paleogeography Late Permian
Allegheny Orogeny Hercynian

N Eur-S Eur
Next let’s look closer at the Orogenies

Rifting raises water, moves plates, which later collide.
Assembly of
Pangea
Gondwana/Laurasia
Catskill Clastic Wedge

Continues subd Iapetus South docks rest Avalonia
Old Red SS
Iapetus floor subducted Scotl Scan NE Can

Lauentia and Baltica collide - Laurasia
Avalonia collides with Laurentia

Tectonics Paleozoic North America
• In the Cambrian, several small terranes

lay to the south of Laurentia as it
separated from Baltica. The shores were
passive margins.
• In the Ordovician, about 500 mya, the

direction of plate motion reversed and
Iapetus began to close.
Global paleogeography for the
Cambrian period
Terranes
The Taconic orogeny
Rodinia breaking up
Avalonia Terrane E. Cambrian
Plates reverse, in E. Ordovician
Laurentia moves toward Avalonia Africa moves toward both

Taconic orogeny (cont)
Mid – L. Ordovician, N.Avalonia

and an island arc dock with
Laurentia, beginning the

Appalachians
Rocks thrust up over margin of Laurentia

Interior of Laurentia, Ord.-Silurian
• Inland, the Taconic collisions caused the
crust to be warped down, forming the
Appalachian FORELAND BASIN
• Deep water sediments were deposited in
the basin, until sediments eroded from the
Taconic mountains filled the basin, and
shallow water deposits prevailed.
• The Queenston Clastic Wedge.
Cambrian paleogeography
Pre –collisions
Note equator
Paleogeography N. Am. M Ord-Sil.
Post collisions Queenston Clastic Wedge
Barrier Reefs Highstand

Evaporites Lowstand
Queenston clastic wedge
(Martinsburg Shale)
Hardyston Fm
downfolded
(Allentown Dm., Jacksonburg Ls.)
The Caledonian Orogeny
• Baltica sutured onto Laurentia

– Mountains - Nova Scotia to Scandinavia
– Erosion resulted clastic wedge
– Devonian Old Red Sandstone
• Result called Laurasia

Late Silurian - Early Devonian
Caledonian Orogeny-Laurasia forms
Caledonian Orogeny
To our North
The Acadian Orogeny
• Continued subduction of Iapetus ocean floor
in Devonian
• Additional parts of Avalonia docked with Laurentia

– Re-folding of Old Mountains – Virginia to Maritimes
– Old rocks even more folded and metamorphosed
– Erosion resulted Catskill clastic wedge
– Facies change in foreland basin – shallow marine to
streams in Middle Devonian as basin fills
– Field trip Marcellus to Mahantango Centerfield Reef
– Catskill delta as push stopped and basin filled
Early - Mid Devonian
Acadian Orogeny-Laurasia forms
Acadian Orogeny
Southern Avalonia into Laurasia
BIG Collision with Gondwana
The Allegheny Orogeny
• Initial contact Late Mississippian
• Northwest Africa collided
• Folding of Pennsylvanian rocks proves
long duration
• Deformation much more extensive than
the Taconic or Acadian – New York to
Alabama
Transgression and Regressions

Rifting raises water, moves plates, which later collide and fold. Folding makes deep basin. If fold basin sediments, uplift.
Assembly of
Pangea Low High
ABS: Sea level rise (cyclic) due Gondwana glaciation Penn-Pm regression due
slowdown spreading, assembly of Pangaea, drained continent L Pm
KS: filling in of the Appalachian foreland basin by Late Devonian time
TC: glacial melting and accelerated sea-floor spreading
Sauk: High rates of sea-floor spreading

Time-transgressive Cambrian
rocks Grand Canyon
WEST Sauk Sequence EAST
Transgression
Middle
Cambrian
http://www.geo-tools.com/trilobites.htm
Lower
Cambrian
http://www.wmrs.edu/projects/trilobites/images/trilo7-2.jpg
Note how western BAS is older than eastern BAS

Climate/Sedimentation

Rifting raises water, moves plates, which later collide and fold. Folding makes deep basin. If fold basin sediments, uplift.
Assembly of
Pangea
Next: Paleozoic Climates
• Paleozoic mostly warm, but two glacial times,
Ordovician and Pennsylvanian to Late
Permian.
• Cool Middle Ordovician

– CO2 tied up in carbonates – no greenhouse
– Extensive Gondwana tillites and
striations
– Sea level retreats as glacier holds
water
Late Paleozoic Climates
(1) Cool Pennsylvanian – M Permian
– CO2 tied up in carbonates
– Extensive Gondwana tillites and
striations – sea-level fluctuations due
glacial (slow regression) and
interglacial (fast melt) “cyclothems”
– Generated Coal deposits, carbon reservoirs,

low CO2
Pennsylvanian Glacier -Gondwana
Sea-level falls/rises as glaciers grow/melt
Pennsylvanian Cyclothems
Rapid transgressions
cover swamp as ice
melts
Coal Swamp swamp
estuary
Slow regression as
ice sheet grows
Coal formation Pennsylvania cyclothems
Highland
source to
east
Pennsylvanian-age coal deposits
Late Paleozoic Climates - 2
(2) The Late Permian WARM
• Pangaea was ice-free
• Warm equatorial waters from the Panthalassa
Ocean reached both poles.
• No glaciers = no coal (need rapid transgression)
• The Gondwana landmass had drifted north into
warmer climates.
• reduced coal formation caused carbon dioxide
levels to rise
• Greenhouse effect
L. Permian Pangaea
Ice-free, dry interiors, no coal Hot, dry climate

Much of land +/- 30 degrees Note evaporites
Pangaea is assembled, sea-level low

PERMIAN N. America
• Inland sea limited to w Texas & s NM
• Extensive evaporite deposits KS – OK
• Redbeds over interior – strong seasons

The Geology of The Paleozoic Era

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The Geology of the

• Geologic periods in Paleozoic record 7% of

Trace fossil Phycodes pedum

• Deposition due to transgressions (and

• Formation of mountain belts at edges

Catskill Clastic Wedge

Iapetus floor subducted Scotl Scan NE Can

Avalonia collides with Laurentia

• Geologists want to create maps of the

• correctly position the continents for

• reconstruct geography on the continents.

Siberia - Russia (E of Urals), Part Asia

From McCormick & Fortey 1999.

Mostly distinct faunas

– Acadian Orogeny in the Appalachian

Other orogenies: Antler (Cordillera) and Ellesmere (north margin of Laurentia)

• Pennsylvanian – Siberia collided with

• Permian – Kazakhstania collided with Baltica,

• Single continent surrounded by Panthalassa

North and South Europe suture

• Siberia collided with Kazakhstania in the

• Kazakhstania collided with Baltica in the

Allegheny Orogeny Hercynian

Paleozoic Era key events

Catskill Clastic Wedge

Iapetus floor subducted Scotl Scan NE Can

Avalonia collides with Laurentia

• In the Cambrian, several small terranes

• In the Ordovician, about 500 mya, the

Avalonia Terrane E. Cambrian

Plates reverse, in E. Ordovician

Laurentia moves toward Avalonia Africa moves toward both

Mid – L. Ordovician, N.Avalonia

Laurentia, beginning the

Rocks thrust up over margin of Laurentia

Post collisions Queenston Clastic Wedge

Barrier Reefs Highstand

• Baltica sutured onto Laurentia

• Result called Laurasia

• Additional parts of Avalonia docked with Laurentia

Paleozoic Era key events

KS: filling in of the Appalachian foreland basin by Late Devonian time

TC: glacial melting and accelerated sea-floor spreading

Sauk: High rates of sea-floor spreading

Note how western BAS is older than eastern BAS

Paleozoic Era key events

• Cool Middle Ordovician

– Generated Coal deposits, carbon reservoirs,

Ice-free, dry interiors, no coal Hot, dry climate

Pangaea is assembled, sea-level low

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