Paleozoic Period Facts

Extends from around 545 mya to 245 mya. Comprises 6.5% of geologic time and subdivided into 6 or 7 main periods.

Paleozoic Main Periods

Permian, Pennsylvanian, Mississippian, Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician, and Cambrian.

Beginning Paleozoic

there were 6 major landmasses existed, each continent can be divided into a craton and one or more mobile belts.

Cratons

stable and immobile parts of continents of Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks

Platform

part of the craton covered with sediment

Mobile belts

located along the margins of continents, areas of deposition and deformation and mountain building during collision.

Epeiric seas

widespread shallow seas that transgressed and regressed over the craton

Paleozoic Paleography

6 major continents were present: Baltica, China, Gondwana, Kazakhstania, Laurentia, and Siberia.

Early-middle paleozoic global history

continents at low latitudes, free water circulation, and polar regions ice-free. During the Ordovician, plate movement caused major changes in the positions of the continents.

North America (Paleozoic)

Can be divided into six cratonic sequences or sloss sequences. Each of these represents a major transgressive-regressive cycle of sedimentary rocks that are bounded by cratonwide unconformities above and below

Cambrian global history

All continents are at low latitudes and free water circulation. Sea level began to rise following the late proterozoic glaciations.

The Sauk Sequence

Late Proterozoic to Early Ordovician - record the first major transgression onto the North American craton. By Cambrian time, seas had covered most of N. America except for a few islands along the Transcontinental Arch and portion of the Canadian Shield. North America located at equator in a tropical climate.

The Tippecanoe Sequence

Carbonates deposited in the Sauk sea was deeply eroded when the sea regressed, left an cratonwide unconformity. The Tippecanoe sequence from mid-ordovician to early-dovonian, begins with a major transgressive sequence, depositing clean, well-sorted quartz sands. Widespread carbonate deposition followed.

Devonian global history

The southern iapetus narrowed between Laurasia and Gondwana. Mountain building continued along the eastern margin of Laurasia with the Acadian orogeny. Worldwide distribution of reefs, evaporites and red beds suggest a warm uniform global climate.

Clastics and Black Shales

The rising acadian mountains in the east started to shed large amounts of clastic sediments. Killed off carbonate reefs builders, widespread black shales were deposited, and reflect anaerobia bottom water.

Permian global history

By the end of permian time the formation of pangaea was complete. more moderate temperatures worldwide as waters in the panthalassa sea circulate freely from pole to pole. The ice sheet covering gondwana melted. Pangaea's interior was warm and dry leading to widespread deserts and depositions of extensive evaporites.

Appalachian Mobile Belts

Taconic Orogeny, Acadian Orogeny, and Hercynian-Alleghenian Orogeny.

Paleozoic Mineral resources

Energy resources (oil, gas and coal) - Devonian carbonates in Alberta, Metallic and nonmetallic mineral deposits (tin, copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc) (salt, gypsum, and limestone) Potash in sask, and Gypsum in Michigan. Sand and Gravel.