Ob die vom praktizierenden Stratigraphen angewendeten Methoden richtig sind, entscheidet sich nicht etwa anhand der oft theoretischen Überlegungen von Kommissionen, sondern mit dem Erfolg seiner Arbeit, nämlich der Richtigkeit seiner stratigraphischen Ergebnisse. Richtlinien zu stratigraphischen Verfahrensweisen können deshalb auch nicht mehr sein als Hilfe und Empfehlung für den stratigraphisch arbeitenden Geologen. Sie sollen durch ihre Anwendung zur Vermeidung formaler Fehler sowie zur Stabilität stratigraphischer Kategorien beitragen. <...>

New geochronological data [zircon U ⁄Pb, titanite fission-track (TFT) and apatite fission-track (AFT) dating and apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He thermochronology] and thermal history modelling yield constraints on the development of the granitoid basement of the Kuznetsk-Alatau Mountains, southern Siberia. The final stages of magmatism in the Kuznetsk-Alatau palaeo-island-arc are Late Cambrian, and collision of the arc with Siberia occurred in the Early Ordovician. The basement was exhumed by the Early Devonian. Continuous Devonian–Early Triassic sedimenta-

tion filled the adjoining Kuznetsk and Minusa basins and buried (and re-heated) the Kuznetsk-Alatau basement. After initial Pangaea break-up and Siberian flood-basalt magmatism, the basement reached TFT and AFT retention-temperatures in the Middle Triassic and Early Cretaceous, respectively, during denudation-induced cooling.

Map measurements of the world’s coastline length have yielded a figure of 500,000 km. However, when all of the very real and intricate coastal crenulations are considered, the actual length is probably closer to 1,000,000 km. Added to this is the fact that 40% of the 6,000,000,000 people presently inhabiting the earth live within 100 km of a coastline. From these observations, it can be seen that coasts are a very major geo-morphic and social feature on the face of the planet. And for this reason, scholars in a multitude of disciplines have long been studying the many facets of the zone where the land meets the sea.

Encyclopedia of Earth and Space Science is a twovolume reference intended to complement the material typically taught in high school Earth science and astronomy classes, and in introductory college geology, atmospheric sciences, and astrophysics courses. The substance reflects the fundamental concepts and principles that underlie the content standards for Earth and space science identified by the National Committee on science Education standards and Assessment of the National Research Council for grades 9–12.