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The Role Of The Picuris Orogeny In The Tectonic Evolution Of Proterozoic North America, Ruth Frances Aronoff

Open Access Dissertations

North America is a continent that has grown over time by horizontal attachment of material onto its margins. Studying the process of continental growth in the geologic past gives insight into fundamental components of plate tectonics, and sheds light onto processes at work at modern plate boundaries, in which mid- and lower-crustal rocks are generally hidden from view.

This study focuses on the growth of North America during the Proterozoic. Researchers have debated the role of three orogenies in shaping the southwestern margin of North America: the ∼1.80-1.60 Ga Yavapai and Mazatzal orogenies, and the newly recognized ∼1.40 Ga Picuris …