Siberia, also known asSiberian Craton,Angaraland (or simplyAngara) andAngarida,[1] is an ancientcraton in the heart ofSiberia. Today forming theCentral Siberian Plateau, it formed an independent landmass prior to its fusion intoPangaea during the lateCarboniferous-Permian. TheVerkhoyansk Sea, a passive continental margin, was fringing the Siberian Craton to the east in what is now theEast Siberian Lowland.[2]
Angaraland was named in the 1880s by Austrian geologistEduard Suess who erroneously believed that in thePaleozoic Era there were two large continents in the Northern Hemisphere: "Atlantis", which was North America connected to Europe via a peninsula (Greenland and Iceland), and "Angara-land", which would have been eastern Asia, named after theAngara River in Siberia.[3]
About 2.5 billion years ago (in theSiderian Period), Siberia was part of a continent calledArctica, along with theCanadian Shield. Around 1.1 billion years ago (in theStenian Period), Siberia became part of thesupercontinent ofRodinia, which lasted until theTonian about 750 million years ago when it broke up, and Siberia became part of the landmass ofProtolaurasia. During theEdiacaran Period around 600 million years ago, Protolaurasia became part of the southern supercontinent ofPannotia. Around 550 million years ago, both Pannotia and Protolaurasia split up to become the continents ofLaurentia,Baltica and Siberia.[citation needed]
Siberia was an independent continent through the early Paleozoic until, during theCarboniferous Period, it collided with the minor continent ofKazakhstania. A subsequent collision withEuramerica/Laurussia during the LateCarboniferous-Permian formedPangaea.[4]
Pangaea split up during theJurassic though Siberia stayed withLaurasia. Laurasia gradually split up during theCretaceous with Siberia remaining part of present-day northeasternEurasia. Today, Siberia forms part of the landmass ofAfro-Eurasia. To the east it is joined to theNorth American plate at theChersky Range. In around 250 million years from now Siberia may be in thesubtropical region and part of the new supercontinent ofPangaea Proxima.[citation needed]
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