The world, Late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian), 306 Ma, PALEOMAP Project
The world, Pennsylvanian, 300 Ma, Global Paleogeographic Views of Earth History, NAU
North America, Early Pennsylvanian, 315 Ma, Paleogeography and Geologic Evolution of North America, NAU
North America, Late Pennsylvanian, 300 Ma, Paleogeography and Geologic Evolution of North America, NAU
North America in the Pennsylvanian Sub-Period
North American Carboniferous Rocks (dark blue = Mississippian, lighter blue = Pennsylvanian)
Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Wikipedia
Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, Palæos
The Carboniferous, Paleontology Portal
The Carboniferous, University of California Museum of Paleontology
Geologic Time Table, Seafriends
See general sources above.
Late Carboniferous, Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian, ~ 312 Ma, PALEOMAP project
Late Carboniferous, Late Pennsylvanian, ~ 300 Ma, PALEOMAP project
Life in the Carboniferous, and Pennsylvanian Life, Palæos
Life of the Carboniferous, University of California Museum of Paleontology
The Carboniferous Period: Plants Cover the Earth, Fossil-Facts-and-Finds.com
Carboniferous Fossils, Fossil Museum
Northwestern Gondwana (where western Africa is today) continues to collide with Euramerica, and the supercontinent of Pangaea continues its process of formation. At this time, Pangaea is horseshoe shaped with the opening on the east side, like the letter C. The sea inside this open area of the supercontinent was called the Paleo-Tethys Ocean.
Large scale mountain building (orogeny) continues as the large continents keep colliding. The Alleghenian orogeny (or Appalachian orogeny) forms the central and southern Appalachian mountains (including the Allegheny Mountains), and the Anti-Atlas mountains (in southern Morocco).
A volcanic island arc that formed to the southwest of Euramerica (and west of the Gondwana–Euramerica collision) during the Mississippian subperiod now collides with Pangaea. This is the Ouachita orogeny that formed the Ouachita Mountians (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas), and other mountains in Texas and northern Mexico.
Siberia and Kazakhstania approach northern Euramerica. Pangaea will now begin to reach its final form. When Siberia and Kazakhstania smash into Euaramerica, the Ural Mountains will eventually be formed (Uralian orogeny). The Ural Mountains now separate Europe from Asia in Russia.
As Gondwana continues to rotate clockwise while Pangaea is forming, western Gondwana (South America) begins to attach to southern Euramerica (U.S. Gulf Coast and Mexico). This further builds mountains in the southern U.S. area of today.
Northern Pangaea (future Laurasia) is a tropical rainforest. Forests and swamps will form today's Pennsylvanian bitumous coal. Sea levels fall in the Pennsylvanian period and continental land area increases.
Glaciers cover much of southern Gondwana adding to lowering sea levels.
Serpent Mound impact event, Ohio, is Late Mississippian or Early Pennsylvanian (or later).
© 2009, Mr. Varner.
