Continents today

The world - Physical
978-3-14-100790-9 | Page 173 | Ill. 5
Continents today |  | The world - Physical | Karte 173/5

Information

Map 4 shows the position of the continent as it is today. In the comparisons shown in maps 1 to 3, concise continent configurations are depicted. They show how within a few million years, the continental drift clearly resulted in these changes, combined with orogenises, Ice ages or biological development activity.
The information given on the Earth's development encompasses a portion of geological and palaeontilogical research. The geology here is primarily concerned with the development and parting of continents on the Earth's surface, exisiting rocks, structural deposits, development and destruction of these surface construction appearances. Theories about tectonic plates are linked between the continent details (cmp. Atlas pg. 8) and supported through palaeontilogical findings. The "Past Continent" (Pangaea)- and the Pacific Ocean- primarily existed at the start of the Mesozoic.
Pangaea emerged with Laurasia and Gondwana out of the two upper cretaceaus continents, which were seperated by the Tethys. On either side, part continents were already indicated in the break up between Africa and South America. North America and Asia developed further also albeit with differences. While there was for some time a land bridge between North America and Eurasien, South America and Africa were already clearly seperated by Palaeogene (old tertiary).
At this time, the Indian Subcontinent of today had already been pushed far in the direction of Asia. The imminent separation of Australia and the Antartic was indicated. The European North Sea between Greenland and Norway developed as