This work is not intended as a textbook, or as a review, but represents an enquiry into the problem of how and why solid planets produce crusts. As this seems to have happened at many different scales throughout the Solar System, we were curious to see whether some general principles might emerge from the detail. The formation of the planets themselves is the outcome of essentially random processes, constrained mainly by the history of the inner nebula and by the cosmochemical abundances of the chemical elements. But perhaps the production of crusts might be a simpler or more uniform process, a notion supported by the frequent appearance of basaltic lavas of assorted types on the surfaces of rocky bodies. <...>

Earth’s infinite geological complexity fascinates us, and centuries of detailed observations and modeling can tempt us to believe that we have a full understanding of Earth’s igneous processes. Our world, however, is only one data point in the Solar System. A model that successfully predicts or explains a volcanic process on Earth, for example, may fail completely when applied to another planetary body. Such comparative planetology is therefore critical, and reveals the weaknesses in our understanding that would otherwise remain hidden: just because a model works on Earth does not mean that it truly explains a given process elsewhere using first principles. <...>

The management of an oil company needs to be familiar with the acquisition, processing, and interpretation requirements that a 3-D survey may place on its staff. If a company’s management has had prior exposure to 3-D seismic surveys, less education by the technical staff (usually the geophysicists) is necessary before recommending a 3-D survey. There may be some preconceived ideas as to the final products that might be delivered at various stages. It is important to emphasize that success or failure in a past 3-D survey may not necessarily be duplicated in future programs. Modifying the design, acquisition, and processing parameters can make significant improvements. Conversely, results may be less than expected if poor design parameters are chosen. <...>

This book has grown and evolved from a course I teach at New Mexico Tech, which is taken chiefly by seniors and graduate students in the Earth Sciences. The rapid accumulation of data on plate tectonics, mantle evolution, and the origin of continents in the last decade has necessitated continued updating of the course. The book is written for an advanced undergraduate or graduate student, and it assumes a basic knowledge of geology, biology, chemistry, and physics that most students in the Earth Sciences acquire during their undergraduate education. It also may serve as a reference book for various specialists in the geological sciences who want to keep abreast of scientific advances in this field. I have attempted to synthesize and digest data from the fields of oceanography, geophysics, geology, planetology, and geochemistry, and to present this information in a systematic manner, addressing problems related to the evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle over the last 4 Gy. The role of plate tectonics in the geological past is examined in the light of geologic evidence, and examples of plate reconstructions are discussed. <...>