Cratons are defined as:

Cratons are defined as:

• A. Oceanic ridges
• B. The molten layer of the earth
• C. Ancient, large and stable parts of the earth's continental crust
• D. A type of sediment

Answer: (C)

Cratons are the ancient, stable cores of continents—large, rigid portions of the continental crust that have remained relatively undeformed for billions of years. They form the sturdy heart of continents, often thick lithospheric roots that help keep the crust buoyant and resistant to tectonic change. This makes them long-lived and minimally deformed compared with younger, more tectonically active areas. That stability sets cratons apart from oceanic ridges, which are active plate boundaries where new crust is formed; from the molten layer of the Earth, which refers to the partially molten mantle rather than the solid, stable crust; and from sediments, which are loose accumulations laid down on top of crust.

Cratons are the ancient, stable cores of continents—large, rigid portions of the continental crust that have remained relatively undeformed for billions of years. They form the sturdy heart of continents, often thick lithospheric roots that help keep the crust buoyant and resistant to tectonic change. This makes them long-lived and minimally deformed compared with younger, more tectonically active areas.

That stability sets cratons apart from oceanic ridges, which are active plate boundaries where new crust is formed; from the molten layer of the Earth, which refers to the partially molten mantle rather than the solid, stable crust; and from sediments, which are loose accumulations laid down on top of crust.