The planet has "more stable formations of rock," called cratons, which "contain old 'roots' … from which tectonic plates extend," said Popular Mechanics. These cratons have had long-term ...

These rocks are found in the oldest parts of what are today the continents, called cratons. Cratons are pieces of ancient continents that formed billions of years ago. Studying them offers a ...

Ancient, expansive tracts of continental crust called cratons have helped keep Earth's continents stable for billions of years, even as landmasses shift, mountains rise and oceans form.

While certain regions of the continental crust, known as cratons, have remained stable for billions of years, others have experienced significant destruction due to processes like mantle ...