Pennsylvanian

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For the Amtrak train that travels from New York to Pittsburgh, see Pennsylvanian (Amtrak).

Key events in the Carboniferous

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Permian

Devonian

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Palæozoic

An approximate timescale of key Carboniferous events.
Axis scale: millions of years ago.

The Pennsylvanian is a subperiod of the Carboniferous period lasting from roughly 318.1± 1.3 to 299± 0.8 Ma (million years ago). As with most other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified, but the exact date of the start and end are uncertain by a few million years. The Pennsylvanian is named after the state of Pennsylvania, where rocks from this age are widespread.

Generalized geographic map of the United States in Middle Pennsylvanian time.

In North America, where the early Carboniferous beds are primarily marine limestones, the Pennsylvanian is treated as a full fledged geologic period between the Mississippian and the Permian. In Europe, the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian are one more-or-less continuous sequence of lowland continental deposits and are grouped together as the Carboniferous period.

[edit] External links

The references in this article would be clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking.

http://www.scotese.com/late.htm Provides a picture of the world from this time period.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/carboniferous/carboniferous.html Information on stratigraphies, localities, tectonics, and life.
http://www.palaeos.com/Paleozoic/Carboniferous/Pennsylvanian.htm

Carboniferous period
Mississippian			Pennsylvanian
Lower/Early	Middle	Upper/Late	Lower/Early	Middle	Upper/Late
Tournaisian	Viséan	Serpukhovian	Bashkirian	Moscovian	Kasimovian \| Gzhelian