DEFINITION OF TETHYS

The ocean basin that closed between Gondwana

(Africa, Arabia, India) and Eurasia to form the Alpine-

Himalayan mountain chain was named the Tethys by Eduard

Suess in 1893. The history of the Tethys Ocean was complex,

involving the creation and destruction of at least two major

oceans. Paleo-Tethys closed in the older Cimmeride orogeny

and the Neo-Tethys Ocean closed in the younger Alpine

orogeny. Tethys is best known as the ocean that separated the

vast U-shaped arms of the Pangean supercontinent beginning

in the Permian. The Laurentian masses of North America,

Baltica, Siberia, and Kazakhstan were located north of the

westward tapering and generally equatorial Tethys Seaway,

whereas the Gondwanan landmasses of Africa, Arabia, India,

Australia, and Antarctica formed the southern arm of the

supercontinent. During the Late Permian (270 million years

ago) large blocks rifted from the Gondwanan margin and

migrated north to collide with Eurasia forming accretionary

orogens and the complex structure of the Eurasian continent.

By 40 million years ago Gondwana had moved north to close

the remaining parts of Neo-Tethys, forming the Alpine-

Himalayan mountain chain.

See also PANGEA; PANTHALASSA.

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