Historical Geology Chapter Vocabulary
Chapter 14-Mesozoic Earth History
based upon Historical Geology-by Wicander and Monroe
 

The main event during the Mesozoic was the breakup of Pangaea.
The Rocky Mountains and the Atlantic ocean were formed.

Fig.14.1 Note the large bay of the Tethys ocean- future source of Middle Eastern oil fields.
North America was the first continent to break away from Pangea (190 mya-Triassic).
South America broke away later (130 mya).
Original split was on the western side of Greenland; Mid-Atlantic ridge later shifted to the eastern side.

Cretaceous was marked by a large rise in sea level  that flood much of the continents.
Flood # 5 Zuni
See Fig. 14.6...Cretaceous Interior Seaway

Movements of the continents as Pangea broke up changed ocean currents and the climate.
Temperatures moved downwards as continents moved northwards.
 A chain of volcanic islands existed in the western portion of North America. Fig 14.4 8 14.5

Appalachians were eroded flat.
When N. America broke away, there was basin and range faulting along East coast with
block faulting and volcanism. (Fig, 14.7)

Gulf coastal area---Gulf of Mexico started to form; a lot of salt was formed due to evaporatiion.

Most of the exciting geology was taking place along the western coast due to the Pacific plate
sliding under N. America; mountains were pushed up.
SONOMA OROGENY (Permian-Triassic), Nev/Calif. border area  Fig.14.10  and Fig.14.13
Famous formations-Chinle Formation of Northern Arizona (Petrified Forest  p.287)
Morrison Formation (dinosaur fossils-Dinosaur National Monument  Vernal, Utah)

NEVADAN OROGENY (Jurassic-Cretaceous)--first part of Cordilleran Orogeny
huge granite intrusions...Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California
followed by SEVIER OROGENY and later by LARAMIDE OROGENY (copper)

Accreted Terranes-added to N. America during the Mesozoic  Fig 14.21