Environmental factors for around 420 million years ago in the Voyage area
Rock Name
Silurian rocks (grouping all Silurian age rocks to west of Malvern Hills together)
Lithology (appearance)
Olive green to grey silty mudstones, with calcareous (lime rich) siltstones, nodular calcareous beds and bentonites
Period
Silurian
How old
Around 425 million years
Environment of rock formation
Shallow warm sea on continental shelf. Ash from distant volcanoes.
Climate
Warm settled conditions
Latitude
60′ S of Equator
Oxygen as percentage of atmosphere
17
Carbon Dioxide as parts per million of atmosphere composition
3300ppm
Maximum day time temperatures
24’C
Minimum night time temperature
15’C
Sea temperature
Warm
Weather risk
Occasional storms churning up sea floor.
Midday Sun
High in the northern sky
UV index
8
Earthquake risk (scale 1 low risk to 9 high risk)
10
Tectonic
Destruction of Iapetus Ocean to NW – Laurentian plate starting to override Avalonian plate depressing crust ahead of contact
Volcano risk
Ash falls and earthquakes – perhaps tsunami
Top predator
Sharks
Animal Life
Rich marine life
Plant Life
Primitive plans on some land areas
Humidity
Rainfall
Wind
Day length
21.1 hours
Days in year
414