Problems of pre-Mesozoic continental evolution

Abstract

By virtue of its remarkable ability to explain currently observed dynamic processes of ocean basins and continental margins, and to account for much of the geological record of the last 200 million years (m.y.), the plate-tectonics model is a rational starting point in interpreting the earlier evolutionary history of the earth. The model's numerous predictions facilitate continued testing and upgrading of its own validity. Since early Mesozoic time, modern continental margins have developed with distinctive physical and chemical characteristics that can serve as bases for comparative studies of older margins, which have been incorporated within the continents in the past. The recent progress of geological studies in North America and the diversity of its geological endowments make the United States a particularly appropriate region for many of these essential investigations.