Iowa Was Once An Ocean

Photo byJeremy BishoponUnsplash

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Millions of years ago, Iowa was a vastly different landscape, covered not by farmlands but by a shallow, tropical ocean teeming with marine life.

According to the University of Iowa, during the Paleozoic Era, roughly 500 to 300 million years ago, the region that is now Iowa was submerged under a warm, shallow sea.

According to the University of Iowa, this ancient ocean was home to a variety of marine organisms, including brachiopods, trilobites, corals, and massive sea creatures that thrived in the nutrient-rich waters.

Evidence of Iowa’s oceanic past is found in the state’s bedrock, which is primarily composed of sedimentary rocks like limestone, shale, and sandstone. These rocks were formed from the accumulation of ancient sea sediments, including the remains of marine life that once flourished there.

Fossils discovered in places like the Devonian Fossil Gorge near Coralville provide a glimpse into this prehistoric world, showcasing well-preserved remnants of coral reefs and sea creatures, according to the University of Iowa.

Over millions of years, geological forces, including plate tectonics and glaciation, gradually drained the sea, shaping the landscape into the rolling hills and plains seen today.

Iowa’s ancient oceanic history remains a fascinating chapter of its geological past, reminding us that the landlocked state was once a thriving marine environment.