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

有两个基本假设描述了北美西部（NA）的演变。流行的假设是，西方NA一直是稳定的，因为古生代。在这一观点中，北美西部的岩石圈大多是原地的（原地），其山区带是岩石圈的侵蚀残留物，岩石圈在活动大陆边缘的俯冲作用下发生变形，沿着活动大陆边缘增加了许多小的地壳碎片（碎片）。在这个假设中，大洋板块能够传递应力，并导致造山运动，深入大陆内部（例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).