Collaborative Research: Integrated Isotopic, Geochronologic & Paleomagnetic Investigations of Cretaceous Coastal Basins: Assessment of Northward Translation of the 'Baja-BC'

Western Washington University, Bellingham WA

Investigators

Abstract

0073888 Housen 0073692 Johnson The mesozoic and tertiary accretion and transport history of terranes along the western plate margin of North America has received considerable study, however work to date has been unable to resolve between the two major hypotheses that have emerged. These models differ mainly in the timing of accretion and particularly in the subsequent northward terrane translation along the continental margin. This project will take a new tack and focus on a innovative detrital provenance analysis of basin sediments that were deposited along the margin during this time period is the hopes of pinning the source terranes and therefore the locations of terranes at various times. Results should help break the impasse in understanding the tectonic history of terrane accretion along the pacific margin of North America during mesozoic and tertiary time.