Plural of craton; multiple large, stable blocks of continental crust; the ancient cores of continents.
From craton (Greek kratos meaning 'strength') + -s (plural marker). The plural form is used when discussing multiple ancient crustal blocks.
Earth's major cratons—like the Canadian Shield and Australian Craton—are so old and massive that they've essentially 'won' the competition with younger rocks around them, staying stable while everything else deforms.
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