The 'sedimentary cover' refers to the stratified rocks of youngest Proterozoic and Phanerozoic age that rest upon the largely crystalline basement rocks of the continental interior. This volume presents data and interpretations of the geophysics of the craton and summarizes the craton's tectonic evolution. It also presents the stratigraphy, structural history, and economic geology of specific sedimentary basins (e.g. Appalachian basin) and regions (e.g. Rocky Mountains). It concludes with a discussion of the currently popular theories of cratonal tectonics, & unresolved questions are identified.

"The papers in this volume illustrate unique, but often overlooked, geologic events of the last 300 million years. Rock outcrops and landscapes, ranging in age from Upper Pennsylvanian through the Anthropocene, are presented that address the following themes: cyclothems, a Permian salt giant, Midcontinent kimberlite intrusions, and Midcontinent glaciation"--

The Early Proterozoic Michigamme Formation of northern Michigan was deposited in the southeastern part of the Animikie basin. The formation conformably overlies the Goodrich Quartzite and comprises three widespread members a lower member of thin-bedded shale, siltstone, and sandstone; the Bijiki Iron-formation Member; and an upper member of tur- biditic graywacke, siltstone, and mudstone and a few local members. The Goodrich Quartzite is interpreted as having been deposited in a tidally influenced shallow marine environ- ment. The lower member of the Michigamme is interpreted as having been deposited in a tidally influenced environment, the iron-formation member as having been deposited below wave base in somewhat deeper water, and the upper member as having been deposited in still deeper water with turbidity currents being a major depositional mechanism. Several lines of evidence including paleocurrents, paleo- geographic setting, and neodymium isotopes suggest that the graywacke of the southern part of the outcrop area was derived from the south (Early Proterozoic Wisconsin magmatic terranes, Archean miniplates, and older Early Proterozoic sedimentary units formed on the continental margin), and that the graywacke in the northern area was derived from an Archean terrane to the north. The tectonic model that best fits the available data is a northward-migrating foreland basin.

With new levels of resolution afforded by modern seismic and analytical techniques, this volume will advance our understanding of how the continents work. For seismologists, tectonophysicists, volcanologists, geochemists, and petrologists, and students of solid Earth history.