Tectonic evolution

The middle Paleozoic through Present tectonic evolution of the Northern Cordillera is portrayed in a series of 15 Tectonic Model figures. These figures depict the successive stages of formation and accretion of orogenic collages along the western margin of the North American Plate (craton and craton margin) and adjacent marine areas. The orogenic collages are composed of terranes and overlap assemblages. The terranes are tectonic (fault-bounded) fragments of island arcs and continental-margin arcs, subduction-zones, oceanic lithosphere, craton margins, and cratons. The overlap assemblages are sequences of mainly late Mesozoic and Cenozoic continental-margin-arc and sedimentary-basin assemblages that were deposited on subjacent terranes and on subjacent craton margin assemblages, following their tectonic assembly.