Historical Geology Chapter Vocabulary
Chapter 11-Late Paleozoic
based upon Historical Geology-by Wicander and Monroe

Mazon Creek fossils (Illinois) and the Tully monster

Late Paleozoic paleogeography
marked by continental collisions, mountain building, evaporites & glacial deposits

Devonian period
LAURASIA formed (Laurentia + Asia)
collisions: Caledonian orogeny (N. Appalachians), ACADIAN orogeny (near Maine)

Carboniferous period (Mississippian + Pennsylvanian)
Gondwana had glaciation
Gowanda collided with Laurasia..produced Ouachita mountains
famous for coal formations

Permian period
assembly of PANGEA was completed (Fig. 11-2b)
giant ocean..PANTHALASSA
giant continent had arid conditions

KASKASKIA sequence (flooding #3)
lots of limestones (mid Devonian to mid-Mississippian)
in SE Arizona: Martin limestone and Escabrosa limestone
Fig. 11.4-Williston Basin..important source of naturtal gas
Late Kaskaskia-lots of limestones, especially crinoidal (AGE OF CRINOIDS)

ABSAROKA sequence (flooding #4)
Pennsysylanian to Early Jurassic
Pennsylvanian rocks exhinit CYCLOTHEMS (coal and marine sands),
caused by changes in sea level (glaciation?)
 

Cratonic uplift-ANCESTRAL ROCKIES (Fig.11.10)
block faulting, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, flat irons
possible cause..collision with Gondwana
 

Middle Absaroka
narrow sea from north to south across N. America
Delawre Basin in West Texas, Permian reefs (Permian basin) Carlsbad caverns (Fig.11.12)
evaporites in Kansas and Nebraska
Capitan limestone reef in New Mexico
 

Cordilleran mobile belt..Antler orogeny
Ouachita mobile belt Mississippi to Texas)-collision with Gondwana
Appalachian mobile belt...Taconic orogeny, then Caledonian orogeny, then Acadian orogeny
Acadian was 410 to 360 mya
Catskill delta...a thick clastic wedge--New York
Alleghenian orogeny..southern Appalachians (and Ouachitas)