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Mount Robson
Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is part of the Rainbow Range. The south face of Mount Robson is clearly visible from the Yellowhead Highway and is commonly photographed along this route.
Mount Robson was likely named after Colin Robertson, who worked for both the Northwest Company and the Hudson's Bay Company at various times in the early 19th century, though there was confusion over the name as many assumed it to have been named for John Robson, an early premier of British Columbia. The Texqa’kallt, a Secwepemc people and the earliest known inhabitants of the area, call it Yexyexéscen (striped rock).
World Heritage Site
In 1990 Mount Robson Park was included within the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. Together with the other national and provincial parks that comprise the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, the park was recognized for its natural beauty and the geological and ecological significance of its mountain landscapes containing the habitats of rare and endangered species, mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons, limestone caves and fossils.
What are Tectonic Plates?
The rock cycle is an essential part of the Earth’s geologic processes. Rocks are broken down by weathering and then reformed through erosion, volcanic eruptions and plate tectonics. The end result is a complex network of different types of rocks that surround us today.
The first step in understanding how the Rocky Mountains were formed is to understand what tectonic plates are. Tectonic plates are large pieces of the Earth’s crust that constantly move around while they interact with each other at their boundaries. These boundaries can be between two or more tectonic plates, between one tectonic plate and oceanic crust (the sea floor), or between oceanic crust and continental crust (continental land masses).
The Rockies are continually growing, and the formation of this range of mountains is thought to be related to the formation of other mountain ranges around the world. The Rocky Mountains are not only an important part of geology but also a site for human exploration and enjoyment.
Thrusting
The Rocky Mountains took shape during an intense period of plate tectonic activity that resulted in much of the rugged landscape of the western North America. The Laramide orogeny, about 80 million years ago, was the last of the three episodes and was responsible for raising the Rocky Mountains. With the shifting tectonic plates, tremendous force is applied from the west causing previously deposited older rock to be thrusted over top of younger rock creating the mountains. Subsequent erosion by glaciers has produced the mountain you see today.
Mount Robson is almost entirely made up of Cambrian sedimentary rock (ca. 500 million years ago) that was pushed eastward and thrust upward during the formation of the Rocky Mountains, mostly during the past 80 million years.
The Questions you need
1) How old are the rocks that make up Mount Robson?
2) How old is Mount Robson?
3) How do you explain the difference between the age of the rocks and the age of the mountain?
4) At Ground Zero there are four signs. What are the four places and their elevations?
5) Optional: Post a photo of your group with the mountain.
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