The Journal of South American Earth Sciences provides an international medium for the publication of scientific work concerned with all aspects of the earth sciences in the South American continent and the surrounding oceans. Work is also accepted from the adjacent regions of the Caribbean, Central America and Antarctic Peninsula. Papers must have a regional appeal and should present work of more than local significance. Research papers dealing with the regional geology of South American cratons and mobile belts; economic geology particularly metallogenesis and hydrocarbon genesis; stratigraphy, structure and basin evolution; geophysics and geochemistry; volcanology; tectonics and Quaternary geology are featured. New developments in already established regional projects and new initiatives dealing with the geology of the continent will be summarized and presented on a regular basis. Short notes, discussions, book reviews and conference and workshop reports will also be included when relevant.See http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/sames-edit for the editorial.The Journal of South American Earth Sciences is also available as part of the Geoscience Package which comprises Journal of African Earth Sciences, Journal of Asian Earth Sciences and Journal of South American Earth Sciences. See Geoscience Package for details.