Sedimentary Basins of Continental Margins and Cratons

Book excerpt: 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.