EART 189A Tectonics of the North American Cordillera

Examines geological evolution, structure, and tectonic processes that have shaped the Western United States Cordillera. Emphasis is placed on plate interactions, crustal deformation, magmatism, metamorphism, and sedimentation in the context of Cordilleran orogenesis. Students integrate field, structural, stratigraphic, geochronologic, and geophysical data to interpret regional tectonic histories. Course serves as a prerequisite for EART 189B. Prerequisite(s): EART 109, EART 109L, EART 110A, and EART 110B; and satisfaction of the Entry-Level Writing and Composition requirements. EART 120, EART 140, and EART 150 are strongly encouraged. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. Enrollment is restricted to junior and senior Earth sciences majors. (Formerly Geographic Information Systems with Applications in Earth Sciences.)