paleogeography

Introduction
Mapping past continents and oceans
- Paleomagnetism
- Linear magnetic anomalies
- Hot-spot tracks
- Paleobiogeography
- Paleoclimatology
- Geologic and tectonic history
Mapping past geographic features
- Continents and ocean basins
- Mountain ranges
- Shorelines and continental margins
Agents of paleogeographic change

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Watch Earth's Continents Move

Cross-sectional diagram showing three tectonic plates at ocean ridges, transform faults, and a subduction zone. The image illustrates rising magma forming rift and subduction volcanoes, convection currents in the mantle, and features such as ocean trenches, extinct and hot-spot volcanoes, and the movement of plates above a molten core and low-velocity mantle layer.

Early and Late Permian landmass distribution

Pangea: Early Triassic Period

Paleogeographic map depicting the arrangement of continents during the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian periods, with a large shaded area showing the extent of the Permo-Carboniferous ice sheet around the ancient South Pole. Arrows indicate the direction of ice sheet movement, and dashed lines outline the ice sheet boundary. The map illustrates continental drift and plate tectonics concepts.

At a Glance

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paleogeography summary

paleogeography: References & Edit History

More Articles On This Topic

sedimentary rock

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Christopher R. Scotese
Professor of Geology, University of Texas at Arlington.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Replaced video.	Amy Tikkanen	Apr 11, 2013
	Article revised and updated.	John P. Rafferty	Apr 25, 2007
	Delete/reset cross reference (673608).In the stable paleogeography article (euid=59533) there is a cross reference (673608) to the deleted earth, prop. struc. article id=108977....(completed: bad link to "crust" fixed.)	John P. Rafferty	Apr 25, 2007
	Article added to new online database.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Jul 20, 1998