Thermal state and evolving geodynamic regimes of the Meso- to Neoarchean North China Craton

Guozheng Sun, Shuwen Liu (), Peter A. Cawood (), Ming Tang, Jeroen Hunen, Lei Gao, Yalu Hu and Fangyang Hu
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Guozheng Sun: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
Shuwen Liu: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
Peter A. Cawood: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University
Ming Tang: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
Jeroen Hunen: Durham University
Lei Gao: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
Yalu Hu: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
Fangyang Hu: Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Constraining thickness and geothermal gradient of Archean continental crust are crucial to understanding geodynamic regimes of the early Earth. Archean crust-sourced tonalitic–trondhjemitic–granodioritic gneisses are ideal lithologies for reconstructing the thermal state of early continental crust. Integrating experimental results with petrochemical data from the Eastern Block of the North China Craton allows us to establish temporal–spatial variations in thickness, geothermal gradient and basal heat flow across the block, which we relate to cooling mantle potential temperature and resultant changing geodynamic regimes from vertical tectonics in the late Mesoarchean (~2.9 Ga) to plate tectonics with hot subduction in the early to late Neoarchean (~2.7–2.5 Ga). Here, we show the transition to a plate tectonic regime plays an important role in the rapid cooling of the mantle, and thickening and strengthening of the lithosphere, which in turn prompted stabilization of the cratonic lithosphere at the end of the Archean.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24139-z

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