Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
the similarity of these polished faulted rock surfaces to
cherts. Along with serpentine, the Canyon Mountain
the texture of snakeskin. The term ophiolite is compre-
ophiolite complex contains argillites, cherts, gabbro,
hensive, used to describe thick sections of raised deep
diorite, and volcanic tuffs.
sea floor. An ophiolite sequence is a predictable
As the weak rocks of the Baker terrane were
arrangement of deep ocean crust with olivine rich
shoved against the mainland, they were squeezed into
peridotities at the base, followed by gabbro and basalts,
what is called an accretionary wedge. In today's oceans
and capped by pillow lavas and deep ocean shale and
these wedges are the sites of severe folding and fault-
