EASC 408: Regional Geology of Western Canada
| Credits: | 3 |
Pre-requisites: | EASC 309 |
Lecture (hrs/week): | 2 |
| Terms: | Spring, Fall |
Co-requisites: | None |
Lab (hrs/week): | 3 |
| Instructors: | Gibson | ||||
| Course Notes: | |||||
Description:
Why study the geology of western Canada’s mountains?
The mountains of western Canada, formally known as Canadian Cordillera, form an evolving, growing mountain belt whose origins
extend back into the Precambrian. The region is a vast natural laboratory containing examples of features and processes pertaining
to most facets of the Earth Sciences, supported by a wealth of geological, geochemical and geophysical information. From the
“big picture” perspective, the tectonic evolution of the region provides a model of the ways in which new continental
crust was and is being formed from mantle derived, isotopically juvenile, material.
- Introduction: background needed to unravel Canadian Cordilleran geology.
- Physiography, active tectonics and natural hazards.
- Bedrock geology, including economic deposits, from westernmost Alberta Plains to eastern Pacific Ocean floor.
- Setting of the Canadian Cordillera in North American and world geology; comparison with other active mountain belts.
- Summary and synthesis: tectonic evolution of the Canadian Cordillera.
- Student presentations in class of selected topics.
- The real thing! Trans-Cordilleran field trip.
Tectonic Assemblage Map of the Canadian Cordillera (Wheeler and McFeely, 1991, Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), Map 1712A).