Research Article| March 01, 1963 AN OUTRAGEOUS HYPOTHESIS FOR THE TECTONIC PATTERN OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA DONALD U WISE DONALD U WISE Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1963) 74 (3): 357–362. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1963)74[357:AOHFTT]2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 28 Feb 1962 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation DONALD U WISE; AN OUTRAGEOUS HYPOTHESIS FOR THE TECTONIC PATTERN OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA. GSA Bulletin 1963;; 74 (3): 357–362. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1963)74[357:AOHFTT]2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Cordilleran tectonic trends diverge within the United States to create several distinctive structural provinces. It is proposed that the spreading pattern results from right-lateral distortion of several hundred miles from Paleozoic through modern times across a 300 mile-wide zone from the Colorado Plateau to the Pacific Northwest. Suitable lineaments are indicated on land and sea. Stress-strain patterns within individual structural provinces can be related to this deformation system. The hypothesis is admittedly outrageous and some of its difficulties are pointed out. Nevertheless, it explains enough of the tectonic pattern to merit inclusion among our working hypotheses of causes of Cordilleran spread. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.
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Donald U. Wise (1963) studied this question.