 |
Transcript for Exotic Terrane, segment 01 of 12
{{{UGS01: Exotic Terrane}}}
{{{Music}}}
In the heart of the Pacific Northwest ancient rock formations are exposed in rugged mountains and rocky gorges. Hells Canyon, North America's deepest river canyon, offers an extraordinary passage through the geologic past. On the border of Oregon and Idaho, the Snake River cuts through eight thousand feet of rocks that are as old as three hundred and fifty million years.
The older rock formations in Hells Canyon and in the rugged terrain surrounding it are very unusual in their geologic makeup. Scientists discovered that these rocks formed in a totally different environment than today's. In fact, they were not part of the continent when they formed. These formations are exotic to North America. Geologists call them exotic terranes.