Safekipedia

Mauritanide Belt

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

Layers of sedimentary rock showing different colors and textures near Depot Beach, New South Wales.

The Mauritanide Belt is an ancient mountain-building event that runs parallel to the west coast of Africa, stretching from Morocco to Guinea-Bissau. It formed between 320 and 270 million years ago during the Carboniferous and Permian periods when huge sections of Earth's crust pushed together.

Paleogeographic reconstruction of the supercontinent Pangaea, including the Central Pangean Mountains of which the Mauritanide Belt formed a part.

During this time, the eastern parts of the belt moved over older rocks in the Taoudeni Basin. Later, in the Triassic period, the Mauritanide Belt separated from the Appalachian Mountains as the Atlantic Ocean began to open up. This ancient belt gives us important clues about how Earth's continents have moved and changed over millions of years.

Related articles

Morocco
Guinea-Bissau
Carboniferous
Permian
Triassic
Appalachian Mountains

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Mauritanide Belt, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.