How did the formation of Pangaea affect the Appalachian Mountains?

The formation of the Pangaea supercontinent was the primary driver of the Alleghenian orogeny, the final major mountain-building event that shaped the Appalachian Mountains.12

During the late Paleozoic Era, specifically between 300 million and 250 million years ago, the collision between the North American continental margin and the southern supercontinent Gondwana culminated in the assembly of Pangaea. This massive tectonic collision caused significant geological transformations in the Appalachians, including:13

• Compressional Deformation: The intense pressure from the collision produced widespread folding and faulting, particularly in the Ridge and Valley region.12
• Crustal Thrusting: The Blue Ridge Mountains were thrust westward over the existing continental margin, creating a crustal slab that remains several kilometers thick.12
• Metamorphism and Intrusion: The Piedmont region experienced folding, minor metamorphism, and igneous intrusions as a result of the continental impact.2

This event effectively finalized the structure of the Appalachian belt, linking it to the broader Caledonian and Hercynian mountain systems in Europe.1