LA URA SIA P ANGAEA Equator Tethys Sea GONDWANALAND Permian 225 million years ago Triassic 200 million years ago Equator
NORTH AMERICA
AFRICA Equator
SOUTH AMERICA
AUSTRALIA Equator
ASIA INDIA
Cretaceous 146 million years ago
Fig. 8 The movement of the plates by continental drift over the last 225 million years. The red dot indicates the position of Ireland.
ANTARCTICA Present day
Today 50m
Fig. 9 shows how Ireland has moved over the planet during the last 500 million years. This is because the continents have been moved around by mantle convection currents beneath the crust. In later chapters you will learn more about how these movements helped to create the rocks and landscapes we see today.
150m 30°N
60°N
300m 0° 400m 500m m = million years ago
Fig. 9 The geographical position of Ireland over the last 500 million years