Variscan orogeny facts for kids
The Variscan orogeny (also called the Hercynian orogeny) was a huge event that built mountains a very long time ago. It happened during the late Palaeozoic era. This mountain-building was caused by two giant landmasses, called Laurussia (or Euramerica) and Gondwana, crashing into each other. When they collided, they formed an even bigger supercontinent known as Pangaea.
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What Caused the Variscan Orogeny?
The Variscan orogeny was mainly caused by the slow but powerful movement of Earth's tectonic plates. Imagine two huge pieces of Earth's crust, each carrying continents, slowly moving towards each other. When these massive plates collided, the land between them was squeezed and pushed upwards. This intense pressure created towering mountain ranges.
This collision was a key step in forming the supercontinent Pangaea. Pangaea was a single, enormous landmass that included almost all of Earth's continents.
Where Can We See Its Effects Today?
Even though the Variscan orogeny happened millions of years ago, its effects can still be seen around the world. Many mountain ranges we know today are actually remnants of those ancient Variscan mountains.
For example, parts of the Appalachian Mountains in North America were formed during this event. In France, the Massif Central is another example. Other places include the Pyrenees mountains, the island of Sardinia, and the Rhine Massif. In Morocco, the Anti-Atlas mountains also show signs of the Variscan orogeny.
Further east, the Variscan event helped create parts of the Ural Mountains, the Pamir mountains, and the Tian Shan mountains. It's amazing how a single ancient event can connect so many different parts of the world!
When Did This Mountain Building Happen?
This major mountain-building event mostly took place during the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. These periods were part of the Palaeozoic era. By the end of the Carboniferous period, the supercontinent Pangaea was mostly complete.
Later, in the Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, Pangaea stretched from Siberia in the north (near the North Pole) all the way to Antarctica in the south (near the South Pole).
Much later in the Mesozoic era, the Atlantic Ocean began to open up. This process slowly split Pangaea apart. As Pangaea broke up, the different parts of the huge Variscan mountain belts ended up far away from each other on the modern Earth.
How Does It Compare to Other Mountains?
The highest mountain chains we see on Earth today, like the Himalayas or the Alps, were formed by a much later period of mountain-building. This more recent event is known as the Alpine orogeny. The Variscan mountains were once very tall, but they have been worn down by millions of years of erosion.
See also
In Spanish: Orogenia varisca para niños
