大陆边缘演化的基本过程是地质体的相互碰撞、加积体的形成和由于横向构造带作用而引起的各地质体的重新排列。日本列岛的地质构造便是这种演化的典型例子。日本列岛因此而成为研究造山作用实质的最重要地区之一。 The basic process of the continental margin evolution is the collisions of geologic bodies, the formation of accretion bodies and rearrangement of geologic bodies due to the action of lateral tectonic belts. The geological structure of the Japanese archipelago is a typical example of this evolution. The Japanese archipelago thus became one of the most important areas for studying the orogenic function.