Module 14

Question 1

THE WCSB is a good example of what kind of basin and what did it result from?

Answer 1

Retroarc foreland basin, resulting from a convergent boundary

Question 2

retroarc foreland basins are formed due to what?

Answer 2

mechanical subsidence of a plate and sediment loading on the over riding plate

Question 3

where is the rate of subsidence greatest in a foreland basin?

Answer 3

adjacent to the thrust loading

Question 4

what three periods are under the mesozoic era?

Answer 4

triassic , jurassic, cretaceous

age of the reptiles

Question 5

where was the Tethys sea in relation to pangaea?

Answer 5

between africa and europe and between india and asia

Question 6

when did pangaea begin to break up?

Answer 6

mesozoic

Question 7

when pangaea broke up what were the northern and southern continents called?

Answer 7

N - Laurasia

S - Gondwana

Question 8

As north america ad europe separated what were they called?

Answer 8

Laurentia and Baltica

Question 9

how many stages did the pangaea break up occur in?

Answer 9

four

Question 10

what happened during stage 1 of pangaea’s break up?

Answer 10

• rifting and separation of N America b/c of rifting and volcanism along normal faults
• Normal Faulting -> intrusion of dikes and lava
• Atlantic ocean widened through the extrusion of oceanic basalts

Question 11

what happened during stage 2 of pangaea’s break up?

Answer 11

• rifting and separation of Africa, India and Antarctica

- Large volumes of Basalt were extruded

Question 12

what happened during stage 3 of pangaea’s break up?

Answer 12

• South America separated from Africa

- India moving toward asia

Question 13

what happened during stage 4 of pangaea’s break up?

Answer 13

• Continued into the Cenozoic

- Anatarctica and Australia separated 45 mya

Question 14

what happened during stage 4 of pangaea’s break up?

Answer 14

• Continued into the Cenozoic

- Anatarctica and Australia separated 45 mya

Question 15

What was the climate like during the Mesozoic ?

Answer 15

Warmer climate along with the atmosphere had a higher CO2 content

Question 16

What was the biggest event during the Mesozoic? and what did this event change worldwide?

Answer 16

The break-up of Pangaea and this event changed ocean circulation patterns and climates worldwide

Question 17

when were the Rocky Mountains and Atlantic Ocean born?

Answer 17

During the Mesozoic

Question 18

When did the oil gas traps in the gulf of mexico originate?

Answer 18

Mesozoic

Question 19

What happened to the temperatures during the break up pangaea?

Answer 19

The global temperatures remained stable

Question 20

Where was the North American craton situated in reference to the Sea Level during the Mesozoic

Answer 20

Above sea level

Question 21

During the Cretaceous period the Eastern Coastal Region was inundated by what?

Answer 21

Marine Transgression

Question 22

what was the site of major evaporite accumulation during the jurassic as North america drifted from south South America

Answer 22

Gulf Coastal Region

Question 23

When were evaporites deposited in the Gulf of Mexico ? And what minerals were they made up of?

Answer 23

During the Late Triassic and Jurassic

- Thick beds of Gypsum and Salt, more than 1000m

Question 24

During the Mesozoic : The tectonism affecting W North America consisted of the following orogenies:

Answer 24

Sonoma
Nevadan
Sevier
Laramide

Question 25

Why were the mesozoic orogeny's in W. North America formed?

Answer 25

Due to the changing angle of subduction of the oceanic farallon plate under the continental north american plate

Question 26

what caused the sonoma orogeny in the triassic period?

Answer 26

caused by the collision of a volcanic arc with western north america

Question 27

when did the rocky mountains form?

Answer 27

during the Laramide orogeny

Question 28

What is accretionary tectonics?

Answer 28

the growth of a continent by addition of exotic terranes

Question 29

mesozoic mineral resources include what?

Answer 29

coal , petroleum, uranium, gold and copper

Question 30

why is coal deposited in WCSB valued?

Answer 30

because of its low sulphur content

Question 31

what type of beds were deposited from volcanoes in W. North America

Answer 31

large thin beds of ash

Question 32

The volcanic ash deposited from the volcanoes in W north america was called what?

Answer 32

Volcanic ash and is now altered to a soft clay called Bentonite

Question 33

Why is bentonite useful?

Answer 33

for correlation and serve as time horizons (they can be dated radiometrically)

Question 34

What era was the mass extinction of dinosaurs in?

Answer 34

Mesozoic which is hypothesized to occur because of the impact of a large meteorite on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Question 35

What era was the mass extinction of dinosaurs in?

Answer 35

Mesozoic which is hypothesized to occur because of the impact of a large meteorite on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Question 36

what species survived the permian extinction?

Answer 36

Ammonite

Question 37

What are ammonites?

Answer 37

Invertebrates

Question 38

where are the primary petroleum locations of the mesozoic era

Answer 38

Prudhoe bay, Alaska, Eastern Canada/Hibernia, WCSB

Question 39

what are the five major producing formation from the triassic?

Answer 39

``` Charlie Lake Baldonnel Halfway Doig Montney ```

Question 40

what are the five major producing formation from the triassic?

Answer 40

``` Charlie Lake Baldonnel Halfway Doig Montney ```

Question 41

what are pre-orogenic sequences of the lower jurassic comprised of?

Answer 41

platformal limestones and cherts, and wiedespread organic rich shales

Question 42

what is the upper jurassic is dominated primaly by what?

Answer 42

non-marine sandstones and is the first undisputed orogenic foreland trough deposits

Question 43

what are major producing formation in the jurassic?

Answer 43

rock creek sawtooth upper and lower shaunavon Nordegg

Question 44

what are major producing formation in the jurassic?

Answer 44

rock creek sawtooth upper and lower shaunavon Nordegg

Question 45

Where was Cenezoic tectonism concentrated?

Answer 45

in the Alpine-Himalayan and circum-Pacific belts

Question 46

What active volcanoes are in the Circum-Pacific Orogenic Belt?

Answer 46

Andes in South American Aleutians Cascades in North America Island of Japan and in the Phillipines

Question 47

What happend to the North American Cordillera during the Cenzoic?

Answer 47

Experience widespread mountain building, volcanism, uplift. and deep erosion/

Question 48

What did the Laramide Orogeny create?

Answer 48

Basin and range structures Extensive igneous acitivity Uplift and erosion

Question 49

What is the highest mountains in the Cordillera?

Answer 49

Cascade Range

Question 50

What is the highest mountains in the Cordillera?

Answer 50

Cascade Range

Question 51

Basin and range province is composed of what?

Answer 51

crust that was stretched and thinned as the Farallon plate subducted

Question 52

The Colorado plateau is what?

Answer 52

a vast raised flat plain with volcanic mountains rising around its sides. Erosion has carved many deep canyons and gorges in the plateau (including Grand Canyon)

Question 53

What percent of the Earth's surface was covered with glaciers in the Pleistocene?

Answer 53

30%

Question 54

What percent of the Earth's surface was covered with glaciers in the Pleistocene?

Answer 54

30%

Question 55

What area did the Pleistocene continenetal glaciers cover?

Answer 55

Northern Hemisphere contienents

Question 56

What were the effects of the Pleistocene Glaciation?

Answer 56

Sea level was 130m lower than tpday | Streams transported vast amounts of sediment out to sea to be deposited at the base of the slope in submarine fan.

Question 57

What are proglacial lakes?

Answer 57

formed by meltwater that accumulates along the margin of the glaciers.

Question 58

What lakes were formed due to Proglacial lakes?

Answer 58

Great Lakes

Question 59

What were the rock resources from the Cenezoic?

Answer 59

Oil in sedimentary rocks (not ab) deposits of gold Evaporite minerals such as borax and halite

Question 60

US Gulf Coast contains approximately how much recoverable oil and from what period?

Answer 60

21.5 billion bbls mostly from Cenezoic reservoirs