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How did rapid seafloor spreading affect sea level during the Ordovician Period?
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Ordovician Period
The distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the Ordovician Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
During the Ordovician Period, rapid seafloor spreading significantly influenced global sea levels. The intense tectonic activity produced tall oceanic ridges, which raised the average elevation of the seafloor. This displacement of water caused sea levels to rise to some of the highest points in the Phanerozoic Eon.12
As a result of these elevated sea levels, vast areas of the continents were flooded, creating extensive shallow epicontinental seas. For instance, during the Early and Late Ordovician epochs, much of North America was submerged under these waters, leading to the deposition of widespread sediment blankets that preserved abundant fossil remains.12