The Cretaceous-Tertiary tectonic evolution of western Canada and the role of the Tintina and Rocky Mountain trench fault system

有两个基本的假设描述了北美西部（NA）的进化。流行的假设是，自古生代以来，北中国海西部一直很稳定。根据这一观点，北美西部的岩石圈大部分是原生的（原地的），其山带是岩石圈的侵蚀残余物，岩石圈在沿活动大陆边缘的俯冲作用下变形，并加入了许多小的地壳碎片（地体）。在这一假说中，大洋板块能够传递应力，并诱发山脉形成，深入大陆内部（如美国和加拿大的落基山脉）。

There are two basic hypotheses describing the evolution of western North America (NA). The popular hypothesis is that western NA has been stable since the Paleozoic. In this view the lithosphere of western NA is mostly autochthonous (in place) and its mountain belts are the erosional remnants of a lithosphere that has deformed in response to subduction along the active continental margin with the addition of numerous small crustal fragments (terranes) . In this hypothesis the oceanic plates are able to transmit stress, and induce mountain building, deep into the continental interior (e.g. U.S. and Canadian Rockies).