Lesson 2.4: Raising the Rockies

In this lesson, you will visit some of the significant geological events of the Paleozoic Era and the Mesozoic Era, including the formation of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. You will find that the underlying phenomenon associated with modern-day earthquakes—the movement of crustal plates—is behind the geological events you find in these ancient eras.

• Read page 352 of the textbook.

You cannot find the edges of Earth’s crustal plates by looking at Earth’s surface. However, the edges can by inferred by determining where certain major geological events have recently taken place. Finding these crustal-plate edges is the subject of the next activity.

• Read the remainder of page 354.
  
  

The pattern you uncovered in the most recent activity is strong evidence for the existence of crustal plates. The next activity provides even more support for both the existence of these plates and their mobility.

 

• Read the remainder of page 355 of the textbook. Also read pages 356 to 359 up to “2.4 Summary”. Answer the questions as you encounter them.
  
  
• Read “2.4 Summary” on page 359 of the textbook. Then, complete “2.4 Questions” on page 360.
  

Check your answers with those in the “Practice Answers” in the online course.

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Go to Assignment 2.4: Raising the Rockies.