To study the thinning of cratonic lithosphere in North China has been the hot subject of basic research in the fields of solid earth science in China. This paper presents an overview on the formation and evolution of continental crust, and outlines the mechanisms of forming the lithospheric mantle. It is suggested that the thinning of cratonic lithosphere principally proceeds in two ways, one by subduc- tion erosion (e.g., North China), and the other by a combination of subduction erosion and underplating degistion (e.g., Yangtze).
