Australian continental crust has accreted and consolidated
by thirds: 1/3 during Archean time, 1/3 during Early to mid-Proterozoic time,
and 1/3 during latest Precambrian to mostly Paleozoic time. The progression of
orogenic systems and the crustal consolidations they represent seem not
fundamentally different in basic orogenic processes from better known
Mesozoic-Cenozoic examples in that accretionary, continental margin,
collisional, and intraplate intracratonic inverted and/or reactivated systems
are all recognizable in the tectonic evolution ofAustralia.