The Vancouver area is underlain by a variety of rocks and sediments. The Coast and Cascade Mountains are largely composed of granitic and metamorphic rocks. Granitic rock forms from great bodies of molten rock that crystallize deep in the Earth and are now exposed at the Earth's surface by erosion. Deeply buried rocks that have been deformed at high temperatures and pressures are called metamorphic rock. These younger sediments were deposited by Ice Age glaciers and rivers and by modern streams.
Many different materials used by humans come from the earth.
Copper for wires and pipes, stone for buildings, and gravel for road construction are just a few examples. These earth materials are essential to our society. Our local geology determines where our resources come from. Minerals in granite. Young volcanic rocks.