Coast Plutonic Complex: A mid-Cretaceous contractional orogen

Early Late Cretaceous east-vergent thrusts deform much of the eastern margin of the Coast Plutonic Complex in western British Columbia. Similarities in timing and style suggest that the faults represent a system of backthrusts to a west- vergent thrust belt on the west side of the complex. This geometry and the rarity of mid-Cretaceous strike-slip faults indicate that the Coast Plutonic Complex was a strongly contractional orogen in mid-Cretaceous time.