The third edition of this widely acclaimed textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of global tectonics, and includes major revisions to reflect the most significant recent advances in the field. A fully revised third edition of this highly acclaimed text written by eminent authors including one of the pioneers of plate tectonic theory. Major revisions to this new edition reflect the most significant recent advances in the field, including new and expanded chapters on Precambrian tectonics and the supercontinent cycle and the implications of plate tectonics for environmental change. Combines a historical approach with process science to provide a careful balance between geological and geophysical material in both continental and oceanic regimes.