<P> Orogenic belts can form during the assembly of continents and supercontinents . The orogenic belts present on continental blocks are classified into three different categories and have implications of interpreting geologic bodies . Intercratonic orogenic belts are characteristic of ocean basin closure . Clear indicators of intercratonic activity contain ophiolites and other oceanic materials that are present in the suture zone . Intracratonic orogenic belts occur as thrust belts and do not contain any oceanic material . However, the absence of ophiolites is not strong evidence for intracratonic belts, because the oceanic material can be squeezed out and eroded away in an intercratonic environment . The third kind of orogenic belt is a confined orogenic belt which is the closure of small basins . The assembly of a supercontinent would have to show intercratonic orogenic belts . However, interpretation of orogenic belts can be difficult . </P> <P> The collision of Gondwana and Laurasia occurred in the late Palaeozoic . By this collision, the Variscan mountain range was created, along the equator . This 6000 - km - long mountain range is usually referred to in two parts: the Hercynian mountain range of the late Carboniferous makes up the eastern part, and the western part is called the Appalachians, uplifted in the early Permian . (The existence of a flat elevated plateau like the Tibetan Plateau is under much debate .) The locality of the Variscan range made it influential to both the northern and southern hemispheres . The elevation of the Appalachians would greatly influence global atmospheric circulation . </P> <P> Continents, in particular large or supercontinents, will affect the climate of the planet drastically . In general the interaction of supercontinents and climate is similar to the interaction between present - day continents and climate, just on a different scale . Supercontinents have a larger effect on climate than do continents . The configuration and placement of the continents has a larger influence on climate . Continents modify global wind patterns, control ocean current paths and have a higher albedo than the oceans . Because continents are higher in the elevation, the temperature decreases with altitude . The wind is redirected by mountains . The albedo difference causes a shift in climate by onshore winds . "Continentality" occurs because the center of large continents are generally higher in elevations and are therefore cooler and drier . This is seen today with Eurasia, and evidence is present in the rock record that this is true for the middle of Pangaea . </P> <P> The term glacio - epoch refers to a long episode of glaciation on Earth over millions of years . Glaciers have major implications on the climate particularly through sea level change . Changes in the position and elevation of the continents, the paleolatitude and ocean circulation affect the glacio - epochs . There is an association between the rifting and breakup of continents and supercontinents and glacio - epochs . According to the first model for Precambrian supercontinents described above the breakup of Kenorland and Rodinia were associated with the Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic glacio - epochs, respectively . In contrast, the second solution described above shows that these glaciations correlated with periods of low continental velocity and it is concluded that a fall in tectonic and corresponding volcanic activity was responsible for these intervals of global frigidity . During the accumulation of supercontinents with times of regional uplift, glacio - epochs seem to be rare with little supporting evidence . However, the lack of evidence does not allow for the conclusion that glacio - epochs are not associated with collisional assembly of supercontinents . This could just represent a preservation bias . </P>

Describe the movement of the continents over the past 250 million years