Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Triassic Period - Marine deposits
- Triassic Period - Paleogeography
- Triassic Period - Significant geologic events
- Triassic Period
- Triassic Period - Paleomagnetic techniques
- Jurassic Period - Paleogeography
- A Journey Through Time Since the Precambrian - Triassic Period: 252.2 million to 201.3 million years ago
- Triassic Period - End-Triassic extinctions
How did rising sea levels change continental shelves during the Triassic?
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Triassic Period
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the early Triassic Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
At the beginning of the Triassic Period, shallow seas were limited in distribution, having dwindled significantly following the mass extinction at the end of the Permian Period. However, as the Triassic progressed, increased plate tectonic activity and the onset of continental rifting contributed to a gradual rise in sea levels.123
This rise in sea level caused shallow continental shelf seas to become more extensive along the margins of the continents. These expanding shelf environments provided new habitats that were colonized for the first time by diverse groups, including large marine reptiles and modern-style reef-building corals.23