Question

In 3-4 sentences describe the geologic history of North America. In what order did events occur? What is the cause of the mountains lining the western and eastern continental margins?

Answer 1

The first thing to say is that there are two geographical features with the same name: the Rocky Mountain System and the Rocky Mountains (s.s.) that are part of it.The complete orographic system is something like a very varied sample of geological and tectonic processes.The system extends for more than 2982 miles, from Canada to the southern United States, (state of New Mexico). Its transverse extension varies between 68 and 300 miles, with the eastern edge being very close to Denver, and constituting a prominent feature within the central plains of the continent.The far west is not far from Salt Lake City, Utah, and is separated from the Sierra Nevada, Cascade, and Coastal chains-farther west-by the Great Basin and the Columbia River Plateau.The Rocky Mountains end before entering Alaska, not the System that contains them, which is also known to include the highest peaks in North America. In the United States, the highest height is recorded at Mount Elbert in Colorado, showing 4,401 m.s.n.m.Also in the Rocky Mountains is the watershed of the continent, which obviously separates the basins that drain towards the Pacific from those that drain towards the Atlantic.