List of shields and cratons

Summary

A craton is an ancient part of the Earth's continental crust which has been more or less stable since Precambrian times. Cratons whose ancient rocks are widely exposed at the surface, often with relatively subdued relief, are known as shields. If the ancient rocks are largely overlain by a cover of younger rocks then the 'hidden' craton may be referred to as a platform.

List of shields edit

List of named cratons edit

 
Approximate location of Mesoproterozoic (older than 1.3 Ga) cratons in South America and Africa. The São Luís and Luís Alves cratonic fragments are shown.
 
Gondwana and the Kuungan orogen

Listed by modern continent and Gondwana, include:

West Gondwana edit

South America edit

Africa edit

Antarctic-East African Orogen edit

East Gondwana edit

Indian Subcontinent edit

Antarctica edit

 
Location of Archean and Proterozoic cratons in Australia

Australia edit

North America edit

 
North American cratons and basement rocks
 
North American Craton
  North American Craton
  Deformed craton
  Accretionary belt

Eurasia edit

Eastern Eurasia edit

Northern and Eastern Europe edit

See also edit

References edit

  • Dov Avigad and Zohar Gvirtzman (2009). "Late Neoproterozoic rise and fall of the northern Arabian–Nubian shield: The role of lithospheric mantle delamination and subsequent thermal subsidence" (PDF). Tectonophysics. 477 (3–4): 217–228. Bibcode:2009Tectp.477..217A. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2009.04.018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-04-09.