Science Olympiad Dynamic Planet Practice Test

Which cratonic area serves as the core of today's North America and Greenland?

1. Baltica

2. Laurentia

3. Gondwana

4. Panama

The correct answer is: Laurentia

The cratonic area that serves as the core of today's North America and Greenland is Laurentia. This ancient geological formation consists predominantly of very stable continental crust and is considered one of the oldest landmasses on Earth. Laurentia includes a large portion of what is now Canada and the northern United States and plays a key role in the geological history of the North American continent. Understanding that Laurentia has provided the foundational rock that underlies much of North America helps to illustrate why it's recognized as the core of this region today. This stability and age make Laurentia significant in the study of geology and plate tectonics, as it has influenced many geological processes over billions of years. In contrast to late-formed cratonic areas such as Gondwana or others listed, which contributed to the formation of different landmasses, Laurentia remains central to the structure of North America and Greenland in modern geography.