1st-Order Global Tectonic Elements
Each of the following pages shows a global view of the Earth. 1st-order tectonic elements including oceans, continents, plate boundaries, subduction zones, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain belts are shown on each map. Positions of mid-ocean ridges are speculative on plates older than 200 Ma.
Use the BACK function of your web browser to return from each page back to this page.
The general plate data are from Scotese, C. R., 1998. Quicktime Computer Animations, PALEOMAP Project, Department of Geology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas.. The tectonic data are compiled from many sources but are especially influenced by the following: Scotese and Glonka, 1992, Paleomap, Univ of Texas at Arlington; Ziegler, 1988, Evolution of the Arctic-North Atlantic and the western Tethys, AAPG Memoir 43.
Explanation of symbols
Late Precambrian
Early Cambrian
Middle Cambrian
Early Ordovician
Late Ordovician
Early Silurian
Middle Silurian
Early Devonian
Late Devonian
Mississippian
Pennsylvanian
Permian
Early Triassic
Late Triassic
Early Jurassic
Early Middle Jurassic
Middle Jurassic
Late Jurassic
Early Cretaceous
Middle Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
Latest Cretaceous
Paleocene
Eocene
Oligocene
Early Miocene
Late Miocene
Present
