Precambrian Shield formation

E573395
craton geological formation shield area

The Precambrian Shield formation is an ancient, stable core of the Earth's crust composed mainly of very old igneous and metamorphic rocks that underlies much of central and eastern Canada and parts of the northern United States.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Precambrian shield 1

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf craton ⓘ
geological formation ⓘ
shield area ⓘ
ageEstimate up to about 4 billion years old in some areas ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Canadian Shield NERFINISHED ⓘ
Laurentian Plateau NERFINISHED ⓘ
Laurentian Shield NERFINISHED ⓘ
characterizedBy ancient continental crust ⓘ
exposed basement rocks ⓘ
tectonic stability ⓘ
composedMostlyOf igneous rocks ⓘ
metamorphic rocks ⓘ
contains copper deposits ⓘ
gneiss ⓘ
gold deposits ⓘ
granite ⓘ
greenstone belts ⓘ
iron ore deposits ⓘ
nickel deposits ⓘ
rare earth element deposits ⓘ
uranium deposits ⓘ
coveredBy Pleistocene glacial deposits in many areas ⓘ
economicImportance major source of metallic mineral deposits ⓘ
erosionalHistory heavily modified by continental glaciation ⓘ
extendsInto northern United States ⓘ
formedBy accretion of ancient terranes ⓘ
multiple orogenic events ⓘ
formsBasementFor younger sedimentary basins at its margins ⓘ
geologicalHistory records early Earth crustal evolution ⓘ
hasFeature numerous lakes and thin soils ⓘ
influences drainage patterns in central and eastern Canada ⓘ
topography of central and eastern Canada ⓘ
lithology dominantly felsic to intermediate plutonic rocks ⓘ
high-grade metamorphic rocks ⓘ
locatedIn Canada ⓘ
central Canada ⓘ
eastern Canada NERFINISHED ⓘ
partOf Laurentia NERFINISHED ⓘ
North American craton NERFINISHED ⓘ
rockAge Archean ⓘ
Precambrian NERFINISHED ⓘ
Proterozoic ⓘ
scientificSignificance key area for studying crustal evolution ⓘ
key area for studying early Earth tectonics ⓘ
surfaceExpression generally low relief ⓘ
thin or absent sedimentary cover in many areas ⓘ
underlies much of central Canada ⓘ
much of eastern Canada ⓘ
parts of northern United States ⓘ

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Sibley Peninsula → geologicalType → Precambrian Shield formation ⓘ
Chota Nagpur Plateau → geologicalFormation → Precambrian Shield formation ⓘ
this entity surface form: Precambrian shield