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What evidence suggests that monsoons occurred across parts of Pangea?
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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.
The hypothesis of a monsoonal climate during the Middle and Late Triassic helps resolve conflicting paleoclimatic evidence regarding the environment of Pangea.1
While the supercontinent shows clear indicators of widespread aridity—such as red sandstones, dune deposits, and evaporites—there is also significant evidence for strong seasonal precipitation. This evidence includes:1
- Sedimentary deposits: The presence of braided fluvial (riverine) sediments, clay-rich deltaic deposits, and red beds of alluvial and fluvial origin.1
- Climatic patterns: Paleoclimatologists have identified evidence of short, intense rainy seasons within the otherwise dry interior of the supercontinent.2
Scientists postulate that cross-equatorial monsoonal winds brought this seasonal moisture to parts of Pangea, particularly in regions where these winds crossed large expanses of open water.1