Geology: platform, shield, craton – what’s the difference?

Geologists study the earth’s crust to determine its composition, age, and tectonic history. The Precambrian shield is a high-grade igneous and metamorphic crystalline basement that underpins continents. A platform covers some parts of the shield, forming a craton. Continents and cratons are not the same. Shields are exposed areas of Precambrian rock covered by a […]

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