Table of Contents

Preface to the 1st Edition, vii Preface to the 2nd Edition, viii List of Contributors, ix PART 1 INTRODUCTION, 1 1 Regional Geological History: Why and How?, 3 N. H. Woodcock and R. A. Strachan 2 Geological Framework of Britain and Ireland, 19 R. E. Holdsworth, N. H. Woodcock and R. A. Strachan PART 2 THE NORTHERN MARGIN OF THE IAPETUS OCEAN, 41 3 Early Earth History and Development of the Archaean Crust, 43 R. A. Strachan, C. D. Storey and A. R. Prave 4 Proterozoic Sedimentation, Orogenesis and Magmatism on the Laurentian Craton (2500-750 Ma), 54 R. A. Strachan, R. E. Holdsworth and A. R. Prave 5 Middle Neoproterozoic (<750 Ma) to Early Ordovician Sedimentation along the Laurentian Margin of Iapetus, 76 R. A. Strachan, A. R. Prave and R. E. Holdsworth 6 The Grampian Orogeny: Mid-Ordovician Arc-Continent Collision along the Laurentian Margin of Iapetus, 91 R. A. Strachan 7 Mid-Ordovician to Silurian Subduction and Collision: Closure of the Iapetus Ocean, 110 R. A. Strachan PART 3 THE SOUTHERN MARGIN OF THE IAPETUS OCEAN, 133 8 Late Neoproterozoic to Cambrian Accretionary History of Eastern Avalonia and Armorica on the Active Margin of Gondwana, 135 R. A. Strachan 9 The Cambrian and Earliest Ordovician Quiescent Margin of Gondwana, 150 N. H. Woodcock 10 Ordovician Volcanism and Sedimentation on Eastern Avalonia, 162 N. H. Woodcock 11 Late Ordovician to Silurian Evolution of Eastern Avalonia during Iapetus Closure, 177 N. H. Woodcock PART 4 THE END OF THE IAPETUS OCEAN, 193 12 Early Devonian Sedimentary and Magmatic Interlude after Iapetus Closure, 195 N. H. Woodcock 13 The Acadian Orogeny and its Mid-Late Devonian Depositional Aftermath, 210 N. H. Woodcock PART 5 THE VARISCAN CYCLE: CONSOLIDATION OF PANGAEA, 231 14 Carboniferous Sedimentation and Volcanism on the Laurussian Margin, 233 S. J. Davies, P. D. Guion and P. Gutteridge 15 The Variscan Orogeny: the Welding of Pangaea, 274 L. N. Warr PART 6 POST-VARISCAN INTRAPLATE SETTING, 299 16 Permian to Late Triassic Post-orogenic Collapse and Rifting, Arid Deserts, Evaporating Seas and Mass Extinctions, 301 M. W. Hounslow, T. McKie and A. H. Ruffell 17 Triassic-Jurassic Boundary and Jurassic: Disintegrating Pangaea, 322 S. P. Hesselbo 18 Early Cretaceous: Rifting and Sedimentation before the Flood, 347 A. S. Gale 19 Late Cretaceous to Early Palaeogene Pelagic Deposits: Deposition on Greenhouse Earth, 365 A. S. Gale PART 7 THE THULEAN PLUME AND ITS AFTERMATH, 385 20 Palaeogene and Neogene Events: the North Atlantic Plume and Alpine Pulses, 387 A. S. Gale, R. Anderton and R. A. Strachan 21 The Quaternary: History of an Ice Age, 409 P. L. Gibbard and N. H. Woodcock Index, 429 Colour plates appear in between pages 214 and 215 COMPANION WEBSITE This book is accompanied by a companion website: www.wiley.com/go/woodcock/geologicalhistory With figures and tables from the book for downloading

About the Author

Nigel Woodcock teaches structural geology and sedimentology in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge. His published research of over 150 papers spans these two fields and regional tectonics, mostly resulting from field work on Palaeozoic rocks in England and Wales. Rob Strachan teaches tectonics in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth. His published research of over 140 papers mainly results from fieldwork on Precambrian and Lower Palaeozoic rocks in Scotland, Greenland and France.

Reviews

"Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers/faculty." (Choice, 1 January 2013)