Sevier orogeny Sevier orogeny The Sevier orogeny was a mountain-building event that affected western North America from Canada to the north to Mexico to the south. The Sevier orogeny was the result of convergent boundary tectonic activity between approximately 140 million years (Ma) ago and 50 Ma. The Sevier River area of central Utah is the namesake of this event. This orogeny was produced by the subduction of the oceanic Farallon Plate underneath the continental North American Plate. Crustal thickening that led to mountain building was caused by a combination of compressive forces and conductive heating initiated by subduction in the Sevier
Rangitata Orogeny This collision lasted for 50 million years. However, the wet sediments could not just keep piling up. After 50 million years, there was simply too much rock and a 'log jam' in the process was formed. The rocks were squeezed together as they broke and crumpled up. As the compression intensified, the strata were slowly pushed up, creating new land. The collision was also causing a great thickening of the crust, pushing the rocks down into the top of the mantle. The high pressures and temperatures of this occurrence metamorphosed the lower rocks into the Haast Schists. Rangitata Orogeny The