The codillera Flashcards
Define an Orogenic Belt.
A part of a continent where the Earth’s crust has been subjected to deformation leading to the
creation of a mountain range.
List Canada’s 3 orogenic belts. In order from oldest to youngest. (3 Marks)
Appalachian
• Innutian
• Cordilleran
How can you tell a young mountain form an old mountain? (1 Mark)
Young mountains typically have more sharp peaks, and they are usually taller than older
mountains.
Tectonic folding forced layers of rock upwards to form the Appalachian Orogeny. What were
the plates that collided during the formation of Pangaea? (1 Mark)
North American collided with Europe and African
- In the ________ Orogeny, the weight of glaciers on the region forced the plate downwards,
and allowed flooding of lower areas by the ocean. (1 Mark
Appalachian
The Innuitian Orogenic belt was formed in the ________ era, by the northward movement of the
North American plate. (1 Mark
Mesozoic
What interaction lead to the uplifting of the Cordillera region into several mountain ranges.
(1 Mark)
The interaction of the Pacific and North American plats
The Cordillera covers approximation ___ percent of Canada. (1 Mark
16
List the 3 distinct and different mountain ranges that make up the Cordillera. (3 Marks)
- The Eastern Mountains (Rocky and Columbia Mountains)
- The Interior Plateaus (Okanagan Valley, etc.)
- The Coast Mountains
______is located between the Columbia Mountains and the Coast Mountains.
Interior Plateau
As discussed in the notes, what is the River that runs through the Interior Plateau? (1 Mark)
Fraser River
The Rocky and Columbia Mountains make up the ________ Mountains.
Eastern
Many use the term “Rocky Mountains” to describe the Western Cordillera. Why is this
incorrect? (1 Mark)
The Rockies are just a small part of the Western Cordillera
The Rocky Mountains have high ranges that form the _________ between the eastward-
and westward- flowing rivers. (1 Mark
Continental Divide
The highest point in Canada, _________ rises 5,959 m amid a huge ice field in the southwest
corner of the Yukon, the largest icecap south of the Arctic Circle. (1 Mark)
Mount Logan
_______consist of a mass of interlocking igneous intrusions and metamorphic
rocks (a direct result of plate tectonics).
Coast Mountains
What was formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands?
Haida Gwaii
The westernmost mountains are geologically similar to the Interior system. (1 Mark)
True or False
True Bitch!
Continuing movement of the North American and Pacific plates makes the West coast of Canada
the most active earthquake zone in the country. (1 Mark)
True or False
True again Bitch
Volcanic eruptions were first described by what Canadian people? (1 Mark)
First Nation’s legends
On the leeward side of mountains, a __________effect is created, forcing __________
farmers to irrigate their orchards and vineyards. (2 Marks
rain-shadow
Okanagan Valley
The oldest recognizable feature of landscape is the gently rolling upland of the interior plateaus.
The ancient surface was sculpted by erosion many millions of years ago. Since then it has been:
a. Uplifted
b. Partly buried by lava flows
c. Dissected by river erosion
d. Modified by glacier
_______areas of the Cordillera, landforms such as cirques and u-shaped valleys are
common in mountains and along edges of higher plateaus. (1 Mark)
glaciated
- In the Cordillera, features such as striations, drumlins, eskers and till plains are widespread on
the _____ and _______. (2 Marks
plateaus
plains
