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

描述北美西部(NA)的演化有两个基本假设。流行的假说是，自古生代以来，北美西部一直是稳定的。在这一观点中，北美西部的岩石圈主要是原地的(原地)，其山带是岩石圈的侵蚀残留物，岩石圈随着活动大陆边缘的俯冲而变形，增加了许多小的地壳碎片(地体)。在这一假设中，海洋板块能够将应力传递到大陆内陆深处(例如美国和加拿大的落基山脉)，并诱导造山。

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).