Baltica

Baltica was an ancient continental landmass that formed the core of northern Europe. It later joined other continents as they assembled into Pangaea.

Fennoscandian Shield: A region of ancient crystalline rocks underlying much of Scandinavia and Finland. Its exposed rocks preserve much of the Precambrian crust that formed Baltica’s core.
Iapetus Ocean: An ancient ocean that separated Laurentia, Baltica, and Avalonia before the Caledonian orogeny. Its closure brought Baltica into collision with neighboring continents.
Ordovician: A geologic period from about 485 to 444 million years ago, marked by diverse marine life and major biodiversification. Baltica’s changing latitude and seas are reconstructed from rocks deposited during this period.
Laurentia: An ancient continental craton that underlies much of North America and Greenland. It was separated from Baltica by the Iapetus Ocean before their Caledonian collision.
Svecofennian orogeny: A Paleoproterozoic mountain-building episode that formed much of the crust of Finland and Sweden. Its crustal growth contributed substantially to Baltica’s northern interior.
Caledonian orogeny: A mountain-building event caused by the convergence of ancient continents around the Iapetus Ocean. Its collisions welded Baltica to Laurentia and other crustal blocks.
Silurian: A geologic period from about 444 to 419 million years ago, following the Ordovician. Silurian rocks record the consequences of Baltica’s collision with Laurentia.
Avalonia: A microcontinent that rifted from Gondwana and later collided with Laurentia and Baltica. Its separate journey into the Caledonian collision distinguishes it from Baltica’s older cratonic core.
Sarmatian Craton: An ancient crustal block underlying parts of eastern Europe. It constitutes a major southern component of the East European Craton within Baltica.
Scandian orogeny: A phase of the Caledonian orogeny marked by collision between Baltica and Laurentia. It records the major collision that joined Baltica to Laurentia.

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