Farallon Plate - Current State

Current State

It is thought that much of the Farallon plate initially went under North America (particularly the western United States and southwest Canada) at a very shallow angle, creating much of the mountainous terrain in the area (particularly the southern Rocky Mountains).

A large fragment of the subducted Farallon plate is believed to presently be in the mantle under eastern North America. It is also speculated that the associated spreading center was also subducted and may be responsible for the rifting which has created the Basin and Range geologic province.