Eastern and Northern Cordillera

CIM Bulletin, 1970

The area encompassed by this report is the eastern and northern Cordillera, shown on the composite map accompanying these background papers. It extends from the 49th parallel to the Arctic Ocean and from the Rocky Mountain and Tintina trenches to the Interior Plains. The Mackenzie delta is included in the discussions because of the implications of the bedrock geology of the Arctic Plateau and Coastal Plain on the hydrocarbon and mineral potential beneath it. The eastern and northern Cordillera forms the backbone of the Western Canada sedimentary basin and from it most of t he principles of orogenesis and epeirogenesis relating to the understanding of the structural, depositional and fossil record of the basin have been derived. It may be divided roughly into two parts, reflecting basic differences not only in structural style but also in mineral potential. The more easterly and younger rocks generally contain hydrocarbons, coal and non-metallic minerals; the more westerly and older rocks contain metallic and industrial minerals.

Keywords: Canada, Coal, Cordillera, earth science, Geological Survey of Canada, sedimentary basin, structural geology, University of Toronto, Geological Survey of Canada, geology, Hydrocarbons, minerals, Rock, Rocks