Home | Session 5 | Mesozoic Plate-Tectonic Settings
Mesozoic Plate-Tectonic Settings
Presented
by Richard Sedlock
BAESI and San Jose State University
As discussed in the earlier lecture, the coast of Northern California hasn't always been as we now see it. The formation of the supercontinent Pangaea 250 million years ago initiated a major tectonic evolution, from an east-coast-like environment (no plate boundary, no earthquakes, no volcanoes) to the subduction zone we see today.
The group reviewed the poster below (zoom in for a closer look), a cross-section of the Earth's crust offshore and onshore Northern California 100 million years ago. This poster was developed as a rough composite of studies of modern earth, created by a group at USGS.
Though it is not available for public distribution, you can contact Richard Sedlock regarding availability and pricing of copies of this poster for classroom use. Size: 20" x 100".
updated March 4, 2002
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