Baltica
Quick Summary
Baltica was a paleocontinent that existed approximately 500 million years ago and is now part of northwestern Eurasia. During the Silurian Period, Baltica was separated from another paleocontinent, Laurentia, by the Iapetus Ocean. Its eastern and southern boundaries were marked by ancient mountain-building events known as the Uralian and Variscan-Hercynian sutures.12
The northern part of Baltica, including Scandinavia, was located near the paleoequator during the Wenlock Epoch, a period within the Silurian. Features like the Caledonian highlands in Norway and lowlands associated with the Fennoscandian Shield were prominent. The microcontinent of Avalonia became attached to Baltica by the end of the Ordovician period.2
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Paleozoic EraPaleozoic geographyBaltica moved across the paleoequator from southern cool temperate latitudes into northern warm latitudes during the Paleozoic. It collided with and joined Laurentia during the early Devonian Period. The beginnings of such mountainous regions as the Appalachians, Caledonides, and Urals resulted from the Paleozoic collisionā¦
Read MoreBaltica moved across the paleoequator from southern cool temperate latitudes into northern warm latitudes during the Paleozoic. It collided with and joined Laurentia during the early Devonian Period. The beginnings of such mountainous regions as the Appalachians, Caledonides, and Urals resulted from the Paleozoic collisionā¦
Read More
Cambrian PeriodPaleogeographyā¦surrounded the small continent of Baltica, which was located in middle to high southern latitudes. Cambrian shelf deposits of Baltica are relatively thin, rarely exceeding 250 metres (820 feet) in thickness, and are composed primarily of sandstone and shale. Seemingly as a consequence of cool-water environments, carbonate deposits are relativelyā¦
Read Moreā¦surrounded the small continent of Baltica, which was located in middle to high southern latitudes. Cambrian shelf deposits of Baltica are relatively thin, rarely exceeding 250 metres (820 feet) in thickness, and are composed primarily of sandstone and shale. Seemingly as a consequence of cool-water environments, carbonate deposits are relativelyā¦
Read More