Question

The subduction of the Farallon plate beneath the North American plate gave rise to which of the following mountain ranges?

1) Rocky Mountains
2) Appalachian Mountains
3) Ouachita Mountains
4) Ozark Mountains
5) Caledonian Mountains

Answer 1

The Farallon Plate's subduction beneath the North American plate gave rise to the Rocky Mountains, primarily during the Late Mesozoic to Early Cenozoic era, through the process of the Laramide Orogeny.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subduction of the Farallon Plate beneath the North American plate was primarily responsible for the rise of the Rocky Mountains. This orogeny, a large-scale deformational event, is notably different from the continent-continent convergent boundaries that formed other mountain ranges like the Himalayas. The Laramide Orogeny, which took place during the Late Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic, led to the primary uplift and formation of the Rocky Mountains through low-angle subduction, causing significant deformation in the overlying plate.