Introduction

One hundred and thirty years have passed since the works of the American geologist John Hall on the principles of studying geosynclines were first published. Over these years the study of geosynclines has undergone a complex path of evolution and wielded considerable influence on the development of theoretical geology. Today, this study appears to be an exceptionally thorough and striking generalisation of a large number of scientific facts. The theory of geosynclines has enabled proper systematisation of innumerable findings of geological field studies and made it possible to consider the evolution of the earth as a chain of successively and regularly changing states.