Criticism of two kinds often is leveled at research symposia held in conjunction with annual meetings--lack of timeliness and lack of substance. Our premise in organizing this Research Symposium has been that its topic should be of current interest and be concerned with fundamental geologic problems; likewise, new data should be presented and interpreted.

An informal summary of fourteen alternative topics for this Research Symposium was circulated among a large number of geologists with a representative range of practical to theoretical interests. The topic being discussed was favored by the majority in a ratio of two to one. Every effort has been made to locate and invite the participation of all those workers who currently are investigating facets of these problems. All of the speakers are from the various oceanographic institutes. The absence of representatives from the petroleum industry as participants in this Symposium is not due to any lack of invitations.

Off-shore petroleum exploration is one of the most important and competitive spheres of petroleum exploration today. The importance of such marine exploration promises to become even greater in the future. The major part of this exploration will be confined to continental shelves and slopes. Likewise, the major part of land-based petroleum exploration occurs within sediments that were deposited in so-called shelf or slope environments. Any better understanding of the entire geologic framework of continental shelves and slopes will assist materially in petroleum exploration.

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