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Introduction to Geology pp 99–130Cite as

The Appalachians and Interior Lowlands of the North American Craton

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Abstract

After the completion of the Grenville orogenic cycle, the three great units of the present North American continent were defined. The cratonic block formed by the stabilisation of successive Precambrian structural provinces assumed a roughly triangular form, with its base in the Arctic islands and its apex near the Mexican border. The Canadian shield in the northern part of this block remained, for the most part, a positive region receiving little or no sediment. The southern part, now forming the interior lowlands, was repeatedly inundated and received a cover of platform sediments.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London, London, England

    H. H. Read (Professor Emeritus of Geology)

  2. Imperial College of Science and Technology, The University of London, London, England

    Janet Watson Ph.D., A.R.C.S., D.I.C. (Professor of Geology)

Authors
  1. H. H. Read
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  2. Janet Watson Ph.D., A.R.C.S., D.I.C.
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© 1975 The Estate of the late H. H. Read and Janet Watson

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Read, H.H., Watson, J. (1975). The Appalachians and Interior Lowlands of the North American Craton. In: Introduction to Geology. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15613-9_4

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