Abstract Products of geological processes, such as rock formations, unconformities, structures, minerals, fossils and landforms, represent unique records of the evolution of the Earth. These form a coherent picture showing how the Earth evolved, but the picture becomes blurred with antiquity. Consequently, there are challenges in gathering information from the Archean, the period during which the foundations of the Earth were laid down. The 2.7 Ga Belingwe Greenstone Belt in Zimbabwe has proved to be valuable because it has some of the best-preserved Archean stratigraphy in the world. An unconformity between sialic basement and supracrustal rocks of the greenstone belt, and exotic rocks, such as komatiites and stromatolites, contributes immensely toward our knowledge of the evolution of the young Earth and the beginning of life. The frequent use of the Belingwe Greenstone Belt examples to explain geotectonic processes of the early Earth gives testimony to the importance of this structure. Interpretation of some of the features of the Greenstone Belt is sometimes controversial, which forms areas of endless research to better understand the Archean Era. It is for these reasons that arguments are presented for consideration of the Belingwe Greenstone Belt as a national geoheritage site.

Abstract The northern Dutch offshore is an area that has seen less hydrocarbon exploration activity than other areas of The Netherlands. Acquisition of a new regional 3D seismic dataset allowed further testing and re-evaluation of established geological concepts in this area. It is recognized that the presence and movement of Upper Permian Zechstein evaporites had a major impact on depositional patterns in Mesozoic sediments, structural development and hydrocarbon migration. As such, this study looks specifically at the role of salt tectonics in tectonosedimentary development. To assess this salt tectonic evolution within its structural context, a restoration of the Step Graben and Dutch Central Graben was performed. It follows that depositional patterns are closely linked to the nature of salt structure movement and the timing of regional tectonism. For example, during Late Triassic rifting, salt pillows developed and sedimentation focused away from salt structures into depocentres along regional fault trends. Restoration results show that this interplay between salt movement and tectonism is needed to accommodate the sedimentation patterns associated with the formation of the Step Graben and Central Graben during the Triassic and Jurassic, and later during Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic inversion tectonics.