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Anyone have any information on tectonic activity during the Cambrian Period? I am writing a report on tectonic activity on Earth and am going to use the Cambrian to explain the location of the Burgess Shale and Chengjiang formations. So far I have a good idea of what I am doing, just wanted some input from others.

 

I'll reference anyone that responds.

 

Thanks.

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E.T. Hall - opabinia

 

"If It Can be Written or Thought, It can be Filmed." - Stanley Kubrick

 

Cambrian and Quaternary

 

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On 5/4/2017 at 1:01 PM, opabinia said:

Anyone have any information on tectonic activity during the Cambrian Period? I am writing a report on tectonic activity on Earth and am going to use the Cambrian to explain the location of the Burgess Shale and Chengjiang formations. So far I have a good idea of what I am doing, just wanted some input from others.

 

I'll reference anyone that responds.

 

Thanks.

 

Well, it's more general information but I know that at the time of the Cambrian the world's continents were separated by deep oceans much like today. 

 

There were a lot of changes occurring to the earth throughout the Cambrian as the Iapetus Ocean between Laurentia (what would become North America) and the continents of Baltica and Gondwana. Towards the east the Iapetus (the precursor to the Atlantic) Ocean was closing as a subduction zone occured between the east coast of Laurentia and some minor continental bodies off the coast of Gondwana. This subductoin would lead to the creation of a volcanic island chain off the Launrentian coast towards the end of the Cambrian, which was responsible for the creation of the Chopawamsic Terrain and James Run Formation (Chopawamsic Formation) in places around Richmond and in between Baltimore and Philadelphia. 

 

To the west the distance between Gondwana and Laurentia was smaller then the distance between North America and Asia today. However, during the Cambrian, the land mass that would end up becoming the modern People's Republic of China was split in two between a northern and southern zone. The northern zone was closest to what is today the western part of North America, which during the Cambrian stood as geographical north. 

 

 

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Here are a couple of excellent papers.  There are many others listed in the references.

 

 

Torsvik, T.H., & Cocks, L.R. . (2013)

New global palaeogeographical reconstructions for the Early Palaeozoic and their generation.

Geological Society London Memoirs, 38:5-24  LINK

 

Meert, J.G., & Lieberman, B.S. (2004)

A palaeomagnetic and palaeobiogeographical perspective on latest Neoproterozoic and early Cambrian tectonic events.

Journal of the Geological Society, 161:477-487  LINK

 

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Am guessing that you are already aware that most Cambrian rocks must have been eroded or been subducted by now and that we are only observing a small remnant of what must have been more extensive surface rocks.

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On 5/11/2017 at 10:27 AM, Plax said:

Am guessing that you are already aware that most Cambrian rocks must have been eroded or been subducted by now and that we are only observing a small remnant of what must have been more extensive surface rocks.

 

Yes, that was part of my report that I covered: I was mainly referring to the Cambrian earth and how it was during that period. Thanks to EMP and Piranha for the advice! Awaiting a grade as I type. ;)

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E.T. Hall - opabinia

 

"If It Can be Written or Thought, It can be Filmed." - Stanley Kubrick

 

Cambrian and Quaternary

 

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