Welcome to the Paleogeography Home Page

Lithologic, Paleogeographic, and Paleocurrent Maps of the World

What are Paleocurrents?

Why are they important?

Paleocurrents are vectors indicating the direction of flow of currents depositing sediments on the earth's (or mars etc.) surface, in the past.

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Devonian Paleogeographic Map
This is a BIG jpg image (1600x1200)

These maps depict the distribution of lithologies, and the paleocurrents by geologic periods, and are based on nearly one million measurements worldwide. This information can be extremely helpful in attempting to reconstruct the past history of the earth.

"For effort expended, measurements of directional structures are probably more rewarding to the field geologist than anything else".
--Pettijohn et. al. 1972

Precambrian
Total, Lower, Upper

Paleozoic
Total, all periods

Map legend
Lithologic index

Mesozoic
Total, all periods

Cenozoic
Total, all epochs