Almost all of southern British Columbia and a portion of southwestern Alberta are contained within this ecozone. With an area of approximately 405,000 square kilometers, it extends from the eastern slopes of the Rockies in Alberta to the western edge of the Pacific Coast Mountains. It consists of a ring of mountain ranges surrounding large interior plateaus.
Percentage of total area of ecozone (by area):
Mountains 51%
Plains 2%
Hills 6%
Plateaus 35%
Valleys 6%
This region originated as a flat plain near the intersection of the Pacific and North American plates. When these two plates collided, they uplifted the rock through faulting to produce mountain ranges. The region underwent multiple events resulting in multiple separate systems. The Cordillera is also subject to volcanism resulting from the subduction of the Pacific Plate. During the Ice Ages, the region was covered in glaciers sometimes up to 2.5km thick, eroding away many valleys and plateaus, then forming glacial deposits (such as moraines) when they receded.
Percentage of total area of ecozone (by area):
Mountains 51%
Plains 2%
Hills 6%
Plateaus 35%
Valleys 6%
This region originated as a flat plain near the intersection of the Pacific and North American plates. When these two plates collided, they uplifted the rock through faulting to produce mountain ranges. The region underwent multiple events resulting in multiple separate systems. The Cordillera is also subject to volcanism resulting from the subduction of the Pacific Plate. During the Ice Ages, the region was covered in glaciers sometimes up to 2.5km thick, eroding away many valleys and plateaus, then forming glacial deposits (such as moraines) when they receded.