Physical Geology and Geological History of South America

Book excerpt: This work intent to give an introduction to the basic principles and concepts of geology for all those are interested in the understanding and learn about all the processes and phenomena that formed and shaped the Earth, since its formation, around 4,800 million years before present (BP). Early geologists, makes its task of studying and interpreting these processes, contributed to display the history of the planet and the origin of the life. Their work were the basis for future generations of scientists deepened and made new discoveries that contributed in the understanding of our planet and give a new view about its formation. Thanks to all these discoveries, geologists were able to put all the pieces together and understand all the processes that contributed to the formation of the South American continent that began in the first moments of the formation of the Earths crust 3,800 million years BP. This book, compile the geological history of the continent into a single text, while pointing out new aspects that were not covered at first.