The continental margins of the world constitute the most impressive and largest physiographic feature of the earth's surface, and one of fundamentally great geological significance. Continental margins have been the subject of increasing attention in recent years, an interest focused by a body of new data that has provided new insights into their character. This interest was further stimulated by the realization that, in addition to the abundant living resources, continental margins contain petroleum and mineral resources that are accessible with existing technology. This realization, along with their basic geological importance, has provoked further research into the nature of continental margins throughout the world. A summary of these findings, as related to both recent and ancient continental margins, is the subject of this book. At various times in the past we had been approached individually to prepare a basic reference to continental margins; we then proposed to do such a volume jointly. However, the stimulus for the present volume eventually arose from a Penrose Conference arranged through the Geological Society of America. This conference was attended by specialists of numerous disciplines and from throughout the world, many of whom insisted that such a volume would be both timely and useful. Consequently, we agreed to undertake the task of assembling this book, with the objectives of making it available as soon and as inexpensively as possible.

This volume has evolved from papers written in memory of Professor David Roberts. They summarize the key findings of recent research on passive margins, from tectonics, bathymetry, stratigraphy and sedimentation, structural evolution and magmatism. Papers include analyses of the central and southern Atlantic margins of South America and Africa, papers on magmatism and extension in the NE Brazilian margin and on the Cote de Ivoire margin, rift architectures of the NW Red Sea margin, tectonics of the eastern Mediterranean margin, salt tectonics of passive margins of the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, and papers on the NW Shelf margin of Australia. The volume provides readers with new insights into the complexities of passive margin systems that are in reality, not so passive.

This text is written for both academics and people who have no prior knowledge of the earth sciences. It offers a geological history of Ireland from the Precambrian era to the present day.

Continental margins form the relatively narrow transition zones between the different domains of land masses and deep-ocean basins. They are the main regions of sediment input and transfer of sediments to the oceans and thus represent important zones of sediment flux. This work addresses three topics of significance to continental margin development: sedimentation, mass-wasting and stability. It should be of interest to marine geologists, sedimentologists, palaeoceanographers and physical properties specialists.