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Where were Old Red Sandstone deposits found during the Devonian Period?
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Devonian Period
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the early Devonian Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
During the Devonian Period, the continental deposits known as the Old Red Sandstone were primarily found across the northern regions of the supercontinent Laurussia (also known as Euramerica).12
These extensive terrestrial sediments accumulated in structural basins and are found in the following present-day locations:
- Northwestern Europe: Including the northern British Isles (such as Wales, Scotland, and the Scottish Lowlands), Scandinavia, Norway, and parts of European [Russia].314
- North America: Large areas of the continent, particularly in the north.12
- Arctic Regions: Including Greenland, Spitsbergen, and Bear Island.34
- Northeastern Canada: Significant deposits have been identified in this region.3
These deposits formed in sinking basins between the ranges of the Caledonian Mountains, which were created by the collision of landmasses during the Devonian. The sediments, which can reach thousands of meters in thickness, are characterized by their red color due to oxidized iron minerals and contain important fossils of early terrestrial vertebrates and freshwater organisms.314