Siberia (continent)

Siberia, also known as Angaraland (or simply Angara) and Angarida, is an ancient craton in the heart of Siberia. Today forming the Central Siberian Plateau, it was an independent continent before the Permian period. The Verkhoyansk Sea, a passive continental margin, was fringing the Siberian Craton to the east in what is now the East Siberian Lowland.
Angaraland was named in the 1880s by Austrian geologist [[Eduard Suess]] who erroneously believed that in the Paleozoic there were two large continents in the Northern Hemisphere: "Atlantis", North America connected to Europe by a peninsula (=Greenland and Iceland); and "Angara-land", eastern Asia, named after the [[Angara River]] in Siberia.
Precambrian history.
About 2.5 billion years ago ([[Siderian]]), Siberia was part of a continent of [[Arctica]], along with the [[Canadian Shield]]. Around 1.1 billion years ago ([[Stenian]]), Siberia became part of the [[supercontinent]] of [[Rodinia]], a state of affairs which lasted until the [[Cryogenian]] about 750 million years ago when it broke up, and Siberia became part of the landmass of [[Protolaurasia]]. During the [[Ediacaran]] Period around 600 million years ago, Protolaurasia became part of the southern supercontinent of [[Pannotia]] but around 550 million years ago, both Pannotia and Protolaurasia split up to become the continents of [[Laurentia]], [[Baltica]] and Siberia.
Paleozoic history.
Siberia was an independent continent through the lower Paleozoic until, during the [[Carboniferous]] Period, it collided with the minor continent of [[Kazakhstania]]. A subsequent collision with [[Baltica]] during the [[Permian]] completed the formation of the supercontinent [[Pangaea]]. The [[Siberian Traps]] formed.
Mesozoic and Cenozoic history.
Pangaea split up during the [[Jurassic]] though Siberia stayed with [[Laurasia]]. Laurasia gradually split up during the [[Cretaceous]] with Siberia remaining part of present-day northeastern [[Eurasia]]. Today, Siberia forms part of the landmass of [[Afro-Eurasia]]. To the east it is joined to the [[North American Plate]] at the [[Chersky Range]]. In around 250 million years from now Siberia may be in the [[subtropical]] region and part of the new supercontinent of [[Pangaea Ultima]].
External links.
[[Category:Historical continents]]
[[Category:Tectonic plates]]
[[Category:Historical tectonic plates]]
[[Category:Siberia|Continent]]
[[Category:Paleozoic Asia]]
[[Category:Paleozoic geology]]
[[Category:Geology of Russia]]
[[Category:Natural history of Asia]]
[[Category:North Asia]]
[[Category:Geology of Krasnoyarsk Krai]]
[[Category:Geology of the Sakha Republic]]