An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the
United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Our changing continent
Monograph
By: Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
Where were the land areas and oceans of the North American Continent one million years ago, compared to our present geography? Was North America always about the same size and shape as it is today? To answer these questions, we must construct maps of the lands and sea that existed during the past ages. This process of reconstructing ancient geography is called paleogeography (from the Greek word "palaios," meaning ancient).
Suggested Citation
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, 1969, Our changing continent: Monograph, 15 p.; ill.; maps (col.), https://doi.org/10.3133/70039574.