Early Cretaceous

During the middle Mesozoic, Pangaea began to rotate, but the different components of the huge mass rotated at different rates and then in different directions -- rifts began to form. The first of these was a southwestward tear on the mouth. It opened as the southern part of theNorth Atlantic Ocean and continued westward into the Gulf of Mexico. The Co

The Atlantic continues to expand as Pangaea breaks up. The Cimmerian orogeny continues . Arcs and micro continents slam into western N.A. and the Sevier orogeny begins.

Paleogeographic globes

120 Ma

Tectonics, Sedimentation, Paleogeography of North Atlantic Region

120 Ma

1st Order Global Tectonic Features

130 Ma

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