Continental lithospheric rheology is one of the most important aspects in basin geodynamic analysis. Continental lithosphere has multiple rheology characteristics which control different deformation patterns of lithosphere and its representative forms in extensional basins, such as basin configurations,subsidence/uplift history, sedimentary patterns and distributions of magmatic rocks,etc. The current situation about researches on complicated continental lithospheric rheology, rheological structure and deformation mechanisms related to different rheology are discussed. This paper also introduces the applications of continental lithospheric rheology to the kinetics and dynamics modeling of extensional basin formation and development. Even though we still have many difficulties to grasp the actual rheology of
continental lithosphere, we should pay more attentions to its importance in basin research and take more efforts to apply it to basin modeling.