Abstract

The seventeen geological provinces of Canada are characterized by rocks and structures of varying types and ages. They form one shield (consisting of seven geological provinces), four platforms, three orogens, and three continental shelves.

A geological province is an extensive region with distinctive characteristics that differentiate it from surrounding areas. A shield is an large area of very ancient rocks that have been levelled by erosion. A platform is that part of a continent covered by flat-lying or gently tilted rock and underlain by very ancient rocks consolidated during deformations that preceded deposition of the overlying platform layer. The rocks of the platform layer are usually sedimentary in nature. An orogenic belt is a part of the continent where the Earth’s crust has been subjected to deformation leading to the creation of a mountain range. Finally, a continental shelf (or continental platform) represents the extension of a continent under an ocean. It is characterized by a very gentle slope and generally reaches depths of less than 200 metres, at which point there is a steep slope down to the ocean floor.