1. Mesozoic Geology Beginning of the Modern World

2. Mesozoic 248-65 Myr

3. Highlights of Mesozoic Geology 1.Pangea was breaking up to form the “modern continents” 2.East Coast of NA rifted to become a passive margin, while the West Coast became active 3.Sea level went from a Phanerozoic low in the Triassic to a Phanerozoic high in the Cretaceaous 4.Dominated by warm climate (no ice ages)

4. Mesozoic Rock Mostly Oceanic Deposits Mostly Orogenic Rocks Mostly Rift Rocks

5. The Breakup of Pangea 1.Rifting of Laurasia and Gondwana to expand the Tethys Sea 2.Rifting of Gondwana to form Indian Ocean 3.Rifting of South America & Africa forming southern Atlantic 4.Rifting of North America and Europe to form North Atlantic 5.Rifting of Australia & Antarctica

6. Beginning of the Triassic

7. Late Triassic

8. Jurassic 1

9. Early Cretaceous 2

10. Middle Cretaceous 3 4

11. Late Cretaceous 5

12. East Coast Geology

13. Jurassic 1

14. Rifting Margin

15. East African Rift Valley Volcanic Rocks Lake & River Sediments Evaporites Marine Deposits

16. Palisades Sill (Basalt), NY

17. Evaporites in the Gulf

18. Mesozoic Oil Deposits

19. Rifting Margin

20. What’s Happening in the West? Orogenies

21. Active Margin: Subduction

23. Mesozoic Batholiths

24. West “Coast”

25. Terrane Accretion & the Growth of North America

26. Andean Orogeny

27. Central US Geology

28. Mesozoic Seas TransgressionRegression Low High

29. Sedimentary Sequences of NA Blue = No deposition

30. Cretaceous Seaway

32. Mesozoic Climate - Hot Times Triassic: Arid and Warm Cretaceous: Warm and Wet

33. Evidence - Triassic/Jurassic Redbeds Evaporites Fossils Dunes

34. Evidence - Cretaceous Arctic Coal Arctic Dinosaurs

35. What Led to Cretaceous Climate? 1.High Sea Level - Absorbs more solar energy 2.Increased Carbon Dioxide - Greenhouse Effect  Increased Sea Floor Spreading  Superplumes?

37. Superplumes & Large Igneous Provinces (LIPS) Several Oceanic Plateaus formed around 125 Myrs

38. Warm Oceans and Oil

39. Mesozoic Extinctions

40. When (End of…) Species Loss** Major Loses to Triassic80 ± 4% Most synapsids Cretaceous76 ± 5% Dinosaurs, marine reptiles, ammonites Triassic Extinction led to Dominance of Dinosaurs

41. K/T Extinction

42. Evidence Iridium Shocked Quartz

43. Global Distribution of Iridium

44. The Impact Site

45. What Happened? Immediate Area 1.Tsunami & Fallout

46. What Happened? Global Effects 1.Darkness - decrease in photosynthesis 2.Cold (2-3 Months of -20°C) 3.Followed by Greenhouse warming 4.Acid Rain 5.Wildfires 6.Toxic Seawater