James Jackson - Bullard Laboratories, Madingley road, Cambridge CB۳ ۰EZ.UK
Dan McKenzie - Bullard Laboratories, Madingley road, Cambridge CB۳ ۰EZ.UK
Leith Priestley - Bullard Laboratories, Madingley road, Cambridge CB۳ ۰EZ.UK

Differences in the structure, composition and rheology of the lithosphere between the oceans, Young orogenic belts and the ancient Precambrian shields are responsible for the variations in tectonic history seen at the Earth s surface over geological time. The last few years has seen a number of developments in the understanding of the lithosphere, which have challenged previously accepted views and opened up many new directions in research.