Mississippian (geology)

The Mississippian, also called the Lower Carboniferous or Early Carboniferous, was an important time in Earth's history. It was a subperiod in the geologic timescale. This time is part of the larger Carboniferous period.

The Mississippian got its name because rocks from this time are found exposed in the Mississippi Valley. During this period, sea levels were very high. Most areas had shallow seas, lagoons, and deltas.

In North America, rocks from the Mississippian are mostly made of marine limestones. This time sits between the Devonian and the Pennsylvanian periods. Important mountain-building events happened during this time, especially in the Appalachian Mountains. In Europe, the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian are grouped together and called the Carboniferous system.

Subdivisions

The Mississippian time period has three main stages: the Serpukhovian, Visean, and Tournaisian. These names are from places in Europe and Russia.

In North America, the Mississippian is split into four stages: Chesterian, Meramecian, Osagean, and Kinderhookian. These stages help scientists learn about the order of rocks from this ancient time.