Lec 10a - Geologic History of Western Canada

Question 1

Define

Mountain

Answer 1

Any part of the Earth’s crust higher than a hill, sufficiently elevated above the surrounding land surface.

Question 2

Define

Cordillera

Answer 2

An extensive series of more or less parallel ranges of mountains. The mass itself has one general direction but the component parts having various trends.

Question 3

Define

Canadian Cordillera

Answer 3

The name for the mountains of western Canada that includes the submerged regions on the continental shelf and slope.

Question 4

Define

Orogeny

Answer 4

The process of formation of mountains.

Question 5

Define

Terrane

Answer 5

A short term for a tectonostratigraphic terrane. \
It is a fragment of crustal material formed on, or broken off from, one tectonic plate and accreted or sutured to crust lying on another plate.

Question 6

What are the five “belts” of the Cordillera zones?

Answer 6

• Foreland and Omineca
• Intermontane and Insular
• Coast

Question 7

Where can the different types of rocks be found in the Canadian Cordillera?

• Foreland and Omineca
• Intermontane and Insular
• Coast

Answer 7

• Sedimentary rocks in Foreland
• Metamorphosed in Omineca Belt
• Igneous and Sed.rocks in Intermontane and Insular
• Igneous rocks in Coast

Question 8

Three major mountain building events

Answer 8

1. Accretion of first set of volcanic islands to the western margin of North America
2. Accretion of more volcanic islands to the new western margin of N.A
3. Mountain building ceases. Erosion and glaciation shape the land surface