Geologic Change in Western North America Since the Age of Dinosaurs
The dramatic changes in the western North American (WNA) landscape are hard to imagine. None of us would recognize WNA 65 million years ago. Volcanic activity, uplift and erosion, the subduction of the ancient Farallon plate, contact between the North American and Pacific plates, crustal extension, separation of the Baja peninsula, rifting and marine water intrusion, the formation and drying of great interior lakes, sea levels rising and falling, shorelines extending to the end of the continental shelf and then re-covered by embayments, tectonic faulting and folding, and the development of new river systems, such as the Colorado River, have altered the terrain completely. Join Ron Blakey, Deep Time Maps and emeritus professor from Northern Arizona University; Jorge Ledesma, emeritus professor from Autonomous University of Baja California; Monte Marshall, emeritus professor of Geology and Geophysics from San Diego State University, and others, to interpret these events and their impacts. Signup to reserve a seat.