Iapetus Ocean

The Iapetus (also Iapetus, often in combination Iapetus Ocean or Iapetus Ocean ) was an ocean in the late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic (about 700-400 mya ). This ocean opened between the earth's continents Laurentia, Baltica and Gondwana.

Naming

The Iapetus is named after the Titan Iapetus from Greek mythology. The name was suggested (as Iapetus Ocean or just Iapetus ) by Walter B. Harland and Rodney A. Gayer 1972.

Formation and closure

By 1000 mya all land masses of the earth were united to the supercontinent Rodinia. The only existing at that time was Mirovia ocean. Around 800 mya Rodinia began to break down into several continents. The drift of continents between these newly formed oceans have their own name. The of the great southern continent of Gondwana and the small continent Baltica Laurentia one hand and on the other hand limited and newly emerged in the late Neoproterozoic ocean called Iapetus. He lay on the southern hemisphere and extended from near the South Pole to the equator.

The Riftphase of Iapetus took up to around 500 mya, ie up in the Upper Cambrian. Between Baltica and Gondwana opened in Cambrian of the Tornquist Ocean. In the Lower Ordovician already a subduction zone had formed off the west coast Laurentias; the beginning of the closure of the Iapetus. At the same time broke from the northern edge of Gondwana from the small continent Avalonia, which drifted to on Laurentia and Baltica rapidly to the north. The Iapetus has now been subducted under Avalonia. Between Avalonia and Gondwana, a new ocean, the ocean Rheische opened. In Oberordovizium Avalonia collided with Baltica closure of the Tornquist - ocean. After this collision Baltica and Avalonia drifted together against Laurentia. Baltica / Avalonia and Laurentia collided in the Lower Silurian Caledonian orogeny in the. The Iapetus was completely subducted and had ceased to exist. A new super continent Laurussia was born.

Some traces of the collision, such as the closure of the Iapetus suture the remained to this day despite the overprinting by younger orogenies get in the Appalachian Mountains at the North American east coast and in the consolidated Caledonian mountains of northwestern Europe.