Developments in Geotectonics, 12: Sedimentary Basins of Continental Margins and Cratons focuses on the formation, movements, characteristics, and evolution of sedimentary basins of continental margins and cratons. The selection first offers information on mechanisms of basin subsidence and rheology of the lithosphere. Discussions focus on hypotheses of basin subsidence mechanism, testing the hypotheses, elastic properties and flexural rigidity of the lithosphere, and rheology of young continental margins. The text then elaborates on flexure of the lithosphere and continental margin basins and thermal and mechanical evolution of the Michigan basin. The book ponders on the formation of sedimentary basins of graben type by extension of the continental crust and major synchronous events in continental shelves. Topics include inception of shelf development, mid-cretaceous change, taphrogenic subsidence, and energy budget of wedge subsidence mechanism. The manuscript also examines development of graben associated with the initial ruptures of the Atlantic Ocean and observations on the processes of sedimentary basin formation at the margins of Southern Africa. The selection is a dependable reference for readers interested in the study of continental margins.

The Sedimentary Basins of the United States and Canada, Second Edition, focuses on the large, regional, sedimentary accumulations in Canada and the United States. Each chapter provides a succinct summary of the tectonic setting and structural and paleogeographic evolution of the basin it covers, with details on structure and stratigraphy. The book features four new chapters that cover the sedimentary basins of Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. In addition to sedimentary geologists, this updated reference is relevant for basin analysis, regional geology, stratigraphy, and for those working in the hydrocarbon exploration industry. - Features updates to existing chapters, along with new chapters on sedimentary basins in Alaska and Arctic Canada - Includes nearly 300 detailed, full-color paleogeographic maps - Written for general geological audiences and individuals working in the resources sector, particularly those in the fossil fuel industry

Investigating the complex interplay between tectonics and sedimentation is a key endeavor in modern earth science. Many of the world's leading researchers in this field have been brought together in this volume to provide concise overviews of the current state of the subject. The plate tectonic revolution of the 1960's provided the framework for detailed models on the structure of orogens and basins, summarized in a 1995 textbook edited by Busby and Ingersoll. Tectonics of Sedimentary Basins: Recent Advances focuses on key topics or areas where the greatest strides forward have been made, while also providing on-line access to the comprehensive 1995 book. Breakthroughs in new techniques are described in Section 1, including detrital zircon geochronology, cosmogenic nuclide dating, magnetostratigraphy, 3-D seismic, and basin modelling. Section 2 presents the new models for rift, post-rift, transtensional and strike slip basin settings. Section 3 addresses the latest ideas in convergent margin tectonics, including the sedimentary record of subduction intiation and subduction, flat-slab subduction, and arc-continent collision; it then moves inboard to forearc basins and intra-arc basins, and ends with a series of papers formed under compessional strain regimes, as well as post-orogenic intramontane basins. Section 4 examines the origin of plate interior basins, and the sedimentary record of supercontinent formation. This book is required reading for any advanced student or professional interested in sedimentology, plate tectonics, or petroleum geoscience. Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/busby/sedimentarybasins.

Cratonic basins are large, distinctive features of the continental crust. They are preferentially developed on thick continental lithosphere, are typically sub-circular in shape and subside over periods of hundreds of millions of years. They are also endowed with significant resources. However, in spite of their location in continental interiors and often well-known geology, the subsidence driving mechanism and tectonic setting of these basins remains controversial. This volume presents both lithospheric and basin scale datasets acquired specifically to interrogate the tectonic process of cratonic basin formation. Focused on the Silurian to Triassic Parnaíba cratonic basin of Brazil, the papers discuss the results of a multidisciplinary basin analysis project comprising new geophysical, geological and geochemical data. This unique dataset enables the characterization of the lithospheric crust and mantle beneath the Parnaíba Basin, constrains the detailed evolution of the basin itself, and enables comparisons with cratonic basins globally. Several convergent themes emerge providing new and powerful constraints for models of the driving mechanisms of these enigmatic basins.

Expert petroleum geologists David Roberts and Albert Bally bring you Regional Geology and Tectonics: Principles of Geologic Analysis, volume one in a three-volume series covering Phanerozoic regional geology and tectonics. It has been written to provide you with a detailed overview of geologic rift systems, passive margins, and cratonic basins, it features the basic principles necessary to grasping the conceptual approaches to hydrocarbon exploration in a broad range of geological settings globally. A "how-to" regional geology primer that provides a detailed overview of tectonics, rift systems.

Expert petroleum geologists David Roberts and Albert Bally bring you Regional Geology and Tectonics: Phanerozoic Passive Margins, Cratonic Basins and Global Tectonic Maps, volume three in a three-volume series covering Phanerozoic regional geology and tectonics. Its key focus is on both volcanic and non-volcanic passive margins, and the importance of salt and shale driven by sedimentary tectonics to their evolution. Recent innovative research on such critical locations as Iberia, Newfoundland, China, and the North Sea are incorporated to provide practical real-world case studies in regional geology and tectonics. The vast amount of volcanic data now available to form accurate hydrocarbon assessments and analysis at passive margin locations is also included into this thorough yet accessible reference. - Named a 2013 Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association's Choice publication - A "how-to" practical reference that discusses the impact of the development of passive margins and cratonic basins on the structural evolution of the Earth in regional geology and tectonic applications. - Incorporates the increased availability of industry data to present regional seismic lines and cross-sections, leading to more accurate analysis and assessment of targeted hydrocarbon systems - Analyses of passive margins and cratonic basins in East Africa, China, Siberia, the Gulf of Suez, and the Laptev Sea in the Russian Arctic provide immediately implementable petroleum exploration applications - Summaries of analogue and theoretical models are provided as an essential backdrop to the structure and stratigraphy of various geological settings.

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 region of the São Francisco river valley in eastern Brazil encompasses two main components of the geologic framework of the South American continent: the São Francisco craton and its marginal orogenic belts. Cratons, as the oldest, differentiated and relatively stable pieces of the continental lithosphere, preserve a substantial part of the Earth's memory. Orogenic belts, on the other hand, record collisional processes that occurred during a limited time span. Because of their topographic relief, mountain belts developed along craton margins provide however access to rock successions not exposed in the low lands of the adjacent cratons. The combination of geologic information obtained in cratonic domains and their marginal orogenic belts thus form the basis for deciphering substantial periods of Earth’s history. Corresponding to the most intensively studied portion of the Precambrian nucleus of the South American plate, the São Francisco craton and its margins host a rock record that spans from the Paleoarchean to the Cenozoic. Precambrian sedimentary successions that witness ancient Earth processes - many of them of global significance - are especially well preserved and exposed in this region. With all these attributes the São Francisco craton together with its fringing orogenic belts can be viewed as a ‘continent within a continent’ or a ‘continent in miniature’.