Science 10HEarth Science:

Geological History of BC

Objectives:

By the end of the lesson you should be able to:•Describe how the west coast and province of BC has formed

Geological history of British Columbia

A passive ocean-continent margin existed from around 700 m.y to around 200 m.y.

Geological history of British Columbia• Subduction of

Farallon plate beneath North America.

• Approach of Intermontane Terrane

Geological history of British Columbia• Joining of the

Intermontane/Super-Terrane;

• Consequent thrusting/folding of existing NA plate into the Rocky Mountains;

• Approach of Insular Terrane;

• Subduction and related volcanism

Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

Burgess Shale

Rocky Mountains

Takkakaw Falls

Geological history of British Columbia• Formation of the

Coast Range

• Joining of the Insular Terrane.

• Ongoing subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate

• Further uplift of the Rocky Mountains.

Present-day plate

distribution along west

coast of Canada

Volcanoes of BC

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a001300/a001322/a001322.mp4