: a stable relatively immobile area of the earth's crust that forms the nuclear mass of a continent or the central basin of an ocean
Examples of craton in a Sentence
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The rock layers’ magnetic record shows that a chunk of the craton in Australia shifted northward over the course of a few million years, while part of the craton in South Africa stayed stationary.
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Marissa Grunes, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026
The crater could have been somewhere in the São Francisco craton, which is a granitic rock in the eastern part of South America that is one of the oldest regions of the continent.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Michigan occupies a quiet corner of the North American craton, a geologically stable area that has remained relatively calm for millions of years.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Although the dripping is concentrated over a particular area of the craton, the Farallon Plate appears to be influencing the entire craton, spanning most of the United States and Canada.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
According to the researchers, while the dripping is concentrated under the Midwest, the plate is interacting with material from across the whole craton, which underlies most of the U.S. and Canada.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
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Marissa Grunes, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026
The crater could have been somewhere in the São Francisco craton, which is a granitic rock in the eastern part of South America that is one of the oldest regions of the continent.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Michigan occupies a quiet corner of the North American craton, a geologically stable area that has remained relatively calm for millions of years.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Although the dripping is concentrated over a particular area of the craton, the Farallon Plate appears to be influencing the entire craton, spanning most of the United States and Canada.
—New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2025
According to the researchers, while the dripping is concentrated under the Midwest, the plate is interacting with material from across the whole craton, which underlies most of the U.S. and Canada.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Craton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/craton. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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