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Long-Term Geomorphic History of Western Canada

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Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada

Part of the book series: World Geomorphological Landscapes ((WGLC))

Abstract

Geological timescales and large spatial landscape units of Canada are introduced. The tectonic framework of western Canada is sketched with specific attention to the north–northwest to south–southeast orientation of western Canadian mountain landscapes and the east–west grain of much of the western arctic islands. Structural, physiographic, and geomorphological landscape units of western Canada are defined, and the distinctive landscape impact of volcanic and carbonate lithologies is discussed. A descriptive account of each of the geomorphological landscape units of western Canada provides a general background for the individual case studies reported in Chaps. 4–28.

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Acknowledgment

Cartography (with the exception of Fig. 1.3) by D. Kovanen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, 1984 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada

    Olav Slaymaker & Dori J. Kovanen

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  1. Olav Slaymaker
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  2. Dori J. Kovanen
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Correspondence to Olav Slaymaker .

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  1. Department of Geography, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Olav Slaymaker

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Slaymaker, O., Kovanen, D.J. (2017). Long-Term Geomorphic History of Western Canada. In: Slaymaker, O. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada . World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44595-3_1

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