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Which continents contained extensive Silurian limestone and dolomite deposits?
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Silurian Period
Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins during the middle part of the Silurian Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.
During the Silurian Period, the geographic positioning of the continents Laurentia, Baltica, and Siberia within 30° of the equator facilitated the development of extensive platform carbonates, including limestone and dolomite deposits.1
The distribution of these deposits across these regions includes:
- Laurentia: Extensive deposits are found across North America, stretching from northern Greenland to West Texas and from Quebec’s Anticosti Island to the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada.1
- Baltica: Carbonate deposition was prevalent in areas including Gotland (Sweden), Estonia, and the Podolia region of Ukraine.1
- Siberia: Carbonate deposition was widespread across much of the continent.1
These formations were primarily created in warm, shallow tropical to subtropical waters where carbonate detritus from coral skeletons, shells, and calcified algae could accumulate into continuous layers. While these three continents contained the most extensive platform carbonates, other notable, though more restricted, limestone units from this period are found in England, Norway, South China, and Australia.12