Proterozoic: Stromatolitic Explosion!


  • greenstone belts and the high grade terranes of the Archean were replaced by a plate tectonic dominated regime. reflecting the evolution of the earth’s lithosphere
  •  creation of shallow marine environments within the spreading plates
  • stromatolites became  predominantly widespread in these areas 
  • trailing-edges of continental environments resulted in broad stable platforms and contintal shelf settings that accumulated sediments dominated by quartz sandstone and carbonate.
Reconstruction of the Later Proterozoic supercontinent, note the
shallow environments between the spreading plates