Earth History GEOL 2110 The Paleozoic Era Part 5a: Stratigraphy and Tectonics of the Carboniferous and the Permian Periods in North America

Major Concepts Carbonate deposition dominant in the Silurian and Devonian, persisted into the early Carboniferous (the Mississippian period). After a major regression and subsequent transgression marking the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian break in North America, the Absaroka sequence was dominated by clastic sediments and great accumulations of land-based organic material creating coal seams. This change in sedimentation, which persisted into the Permian, was triggered by creation of the final orogenic event of the Appalachian mobile belt caused by the collision of southeastern North America with Africa and South America and the creation of the large continental land mass ever on Earth - Pangea

Events of the Late Paleozoic Era

Mississippian Deposits More Limestone Madison LS, MT Redwall LS, AZ Pahasapa LS, SD Chockful O’ Crinoids

Late Mississippian Regression Immature clastic sediment appear in Eastern NA deposits Sourced from deeper erosion of rejuvenated Caledonian and Acadian Mts More Unconformities developed on warped craton highs

Pennsylvanian Deposits Clastic Sedimentation Dominates (+Coal)

Pennsylvanian Deposits Cyclothems – Trangressive Cycles TRANSGRESSION Sandstone Shale Organic Shale Coal Limestone Illinois Basin Cyclothem

Pennsylvanian Deposits Cyclothems – Trangressive Cycles

Pennsylvanian Deposits Over 100 Cycles in 100 million years! Cause of Cycles -Rapid sea level changes due to Gondwanaland glaciation - Spasmodic tectonic up-down oscillations -Cyclic climate change affecting erosion and sedimentation

Pennsylvanian Coal Deposits Subtropical Rain Forests Peat Anthracite Everglades Bituminous Coal Anthracite Coal

Permian Deposits Craton Tilts West / Seas Retreat / Climate Dries

Barrier Reefs in the Southwest

Ancestral Rocky Mountain Pennsylvanian-Permian Uplift

Late Paleozoic Strata of the Grand Canyon Kls Tf Css HSh Sgp

Late Paleozoic Strata of the Sedona Area

Permian Climate Dries In the Rain Shadow of the Appalachians

The Appalachian Orogeny Creating Pangea ~250 Ma

Continent-Continent Collision Monster Thrust Faulting ~260 Km Displacement 1950’s Interpretation 1980

Summary of Paleozoic Tectonics North American Paleozoic Orogenies Acadian/Caledonian Appalachian/Hercynian Taconian Gondwanaland

Next Lecture The Paleozoic Era Part 5b: Geological History of Gondwanaland and Late Paleozoic Life Mid-term on Friday!! Chapters 8-13