The orogens of the northern Pacific framing are made by a collage of terran
es that are fragments of island arcs, active and passive continental margin
s, accretionary complexes, and cratons. The formation of Mesozoic and Cenoz
oic orogens was controlled by convergent movements of oceanic (Paleopacific
) and continental (North-American and North-Asian or Siberian) plates accom
panied by rifting and opening and closure of small oceanic basins at the ba
ck of active continental margins and island arcs. Systems of island arcs an
d active continental margins have been distinguished, which stretch for tho
usands of kilometers and are common For North America and northeastern Asia
, like those now existing along the periphery of the Pacific. Disintegratio
n of large tectonic units (island arcs, etc.) was either synaccretional or
postaccretional, the latter chiefly resulted from large-scale movements on
wrench faults striking roughly parallel to the continent-ocean boundary.
The tectonic evolution of the northern Pacific framing and formation of oro
gens are illustrated by a set of palinspastic maps compiled on the basis of
an earlier terrane analysis and critically reviewed paleomagnetic and pale
obiogeographic published data for Russian Far East, Alaska, Canadian Cordil
leras, and island of Hokkaido (Japan), completed with studies of terrane-re
lated overlap and suturing complexes.