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Introduction

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Book cover The Tectonics of China

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Abstract

Tectonics is a comprehensive subject area involved in Earth Sciences concerning the historical development, evolution and origin of the Earth. The aims of this study are to determine the composition, the structure, the movement (including deformation and displacement) and the evolution of the outer sphere of the solid Earth, the lithosphere, and its relationship to activity in the interior, in the lower mantle and the core. This subject area is encompassed in the Theory of Plate Tectonics originating from the investigation of the ocean floors during 1960s, and combined with the theory of continental drift, which was until then not universally accepted, evolving into a comprehensive theory of global tectonics. Results from all branches of the geology, geophysics, and geochemistry, including isotope geochemistry, petrology, stratigraphical paleontology, paleoecology, paleoclimatology and paleogeography contribute to the development of this subject area, encouraging cooperation of specialists engaged in all the geosciences disciplines in the construction of a comprehensive Earth Sciences system.

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  1. School of Earth Sciences & Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Prof. Tianfeng Wan

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Wan, T. (2010). Introduction. In: The Tectonics of China. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11868-5_1

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