Miocene
Miocene
Moderate Icehouse climate, punctuated by ice ages; Orogeny in Northern Hemisphere.
Modern mammal and bird families become recognizable. Horses and mastodons diverse. Grasses become ubiquitous. First apes appear.
Kaikoura Orogeny forms Southern Alps in New Zealand, continues today.
Orogeny of the Alps in Europe slows, but continues to this day. Carpathian orogeny forms Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe. Hellenic orogeny in Greece and Aegean Sea slows, but continues to this day. Middle Miocene Disruption occurs.
Widespread forests slowly draw in massive amounts of CO2, gradually lowering the level of atmospheric CO2 from 650 ppmv down to around 100 ppmv.
Modern mammal and bird families become recognizable. Horses and mastodons diverse. Grasses become ubiquitous. First apes appear.
Kaikoura Orogeny forms Southern Alps in New Zealand, continues today.
Orogeny of the Alps in Europe slows, but continues to this day. Carpathian orogeny forms Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe. Hellenic orogeny in Greece and Aegean Sea slows, but continues to this day. Middle Miocene Disruption occurs.
Widespread forests slowly draw in massive amounts of CO2, gradually lowering the level of atmospheric CO2 from 650 ppmv down to around 100 ppmv.
Geologic Events
| Event Name | Type | Age | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andean orogeny (ongoing) | Orogeny | Maximum Age: 200 Ma | South America |
Overview of geological time
List all geological events