Introduction
The word craton was first proposed by the Austrian geologist Leopold Kober in 1921 as Kratogen. There have been numerous definitions since, but the one we are most familiar with is with reference to the stable continental platforms. A basin is usually viewed as a depression or a repository where sediments start to fill. Numerous schemes have been proposed for basin classifications.
This paper serves to develop a general understanding of the close association of a basin and a craton that has been addressed with continental and oceanic crust. The study differentiates active and passive margins in the different tectonic settings. Basins can be formed in intracratonic(within), pericratonic(margins of continent), intercratonic(in between craton and extending to oceanic crust) and oceanic(independent of craton) settings. The mechanism of basin subsidence is governed by mechanical stretching, thermal subsidence and tectonic loading. Different conditions prevail in different basins.