Huronian System

Huronian System, major division of Precambrian rocks in North America (the Precambrian began about 3.8 billion years ago and ended 540 million years ago). The Huronian System is well known in the Great Lakes region and has been divided into three major series of rocks: the lowermost, the Bruce Series, is followed in turn by the Cobalt and Animikie series. The Huronian System forms a wide belt of sedimentary rock units along the north shore of Lake Huron and consists of about 4,000 metres (about 12,000 feet) of sandstones, shales, and conglomerates. The sequence is more complete and thicker to the west, where thicknesses of about 6,000 metres (20,000 feet) of Huronian rocks occur. Important iron-bearing Huronian rock units found in northern Wisconsin and central Minnesota are of major economic significance.