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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology pp 916Cite as

Laurasia

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Definition

Laurasia is the supercontinent composed of the landmasses of the northern hemisphere (Eurasia and North America) that was once part of the supercontinent Pangea. Pangea was assembled around 500 Ma ago and its breakup started 180–200 Ma ago when Gondwana split from Laurasia. North America split from Eurasia about 62 Ma ago with the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean.

See also

Gondwana

Pangea

Supercontinent

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maison des Géosciences, LGCA, Université J. Fourier, 1381, rue de la Piscine, St-Martin d’Hères, 38400, France

    Prof. Nicholas Arndt

Authors
  1. Prof. Nicholas Arndt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicholas Arndt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Astrophysicist, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, BP 89, 33270, Floirac, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Departamento de Planetología y Habitabilidad Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Campus Cantoblanco, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  3. Department of Astrophysics, Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC) Ctra de Ajalvir km 4, 28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW, Washington, DC, 20015, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  5. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Lederle Graduate Research, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003-9305, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. GEOTOP & Départment des Sciences de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Daniele L. Pinti

  7. Astrobiology, CNES/DSP/EU, 2 place Maurice-Quentin, 75039, Paris, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Arndt, N. (2011). Laurasia. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_873

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