Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geodynamics Series, Volume 6.

The contributions to this volume have been organized into three parts reflecting the three pronged approach to the study of passive continental margins that has been made during the International Geodynamics Project. The first part contains six papers dealing with the data from some of the passive margins. These observational data are essential for testing of hypotheses with regard to the evolution of this type of margin. In general multi?]channel seismic reflection data are regarded as providing essential information on structural conditions and evolution of continental margins. However it is probably equally important from the point of view of understanding the geodynamics involved that there should have been deep crustal studies of at least some of the margins. Recognizing that geophysical studies show only the structure as it is today recourse must be made to stratigraphic studies in order to obtain guides to the past development of the margins. The papers in Part One cover all these aspects of passive margin development.