Penokean orogeny

geology

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July 23, 2026

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The Penokean orogeny was a mountain-building event that occurred approximately 1.8 to 1.7 billion years ago in what is now the Canadian Shield. This orogeny involved tectonic activity similar to modern processes, including the subduction of oceanic crust and collision tectonics. It resulted in the formation of folded and faulted strata, angular unconformities, and the deposition of sediments adjacent to the developing mountain belt. The Svecofennian Orogen in the Baltic Shield, which formed during a similar period, provides evidence of these processes, including suture zones with ophiolite complexes representing oceanic crust. These events contributed to the tectonic evolution of the North American continent.123

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Hudsonian orogeny
… in South Dakota, and the Penokean orogeny in the southern part of the Lake Superior region may represent the Hudsonian event in the United States. Precambrian rocks in the Southern Province, which extends south-southwest of Lake Superior into the mid-continental United States, also are dated in the Hudsonian time span.
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… in South Dakota, and the Penokean orogeny in the southern part of the Lake Superior region may represent the Hudsonian event in the United States. Precambrian rocks in the Southern Province, which extends south-southwest of Lake Superior into the mid-continental United States, also are dated in the Hudsonian time span.
Read More