Crustal rejuvenation stabilised Earth’s first cratons

Jacob A. Mulder; Oliver Nebel; Nicholas J. Gardiner; Peter A. Cawood; Ashlea N. Wainwright; Timothy J. Ivanic

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23805-6

Crustal rejuvenation stabilised Earth’s first cratons

Jacob A. Mulder^*, Oliver Nebel, Nicholas J. Gardiner, Peter A. Cawood, Ashlea N. Wainwright, Timothy J. Ivanic

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The formation of stable, evolved (silica-rich) crust was essential in constructing Earth’s first cratons, the ancient nuclei of continents. Eoarchaean (4000–3600 million years ago, Ma) evolved crust occurs on most continents, yet evidence for older, Hadean evolved crust is mostly limited to rare Hadean zircons recycled into younger rocks. Resolving why the preserved volume of evolved crust increased in the Eoarchaean is key to understanding how the first cratons stabilised. Here we report new zircon uranium-lead and hafnium isotope data from the Yilgarn Craton, Australia, which provides an extensive record of Hadean–Eoarchaean evolved magmatism. These data reveal that the first stable, evolved rocks in the Yilgarn Craton formed during an influx of juvenile (recently extracted from the mantle) magmatic source material into the craton. The concurrent shift to juvenile sources and onset of crustal preservation links craton stabilisation to the accumulation of enduring rafts of buoyant, melt-depleted mantle.

Original language	English
Article number	3535
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23805-6
Publication status	Published - 10 Jun 2021

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Cite this

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title = "Crustal rejuvenation stabilised Earth{\textquoteright}s first cratons",

abstract = "The formation of stable, evolved (silica-rich) crust was essential in constructing Earth{\textquoteright}s first cratons, the ancient nuclei of continents. Eoarchaean (4000–3600 million years ago, Ma) evolved crust occurs on most continents, yet evidence for older, Hadean evolved crust is mostly limited to rare Hadean zircons recycled into younger rocks. Resolving why the preserved volume of evolved crust increased in the Eoarchaean is key to understanding how the first cratons stabilised. Here we report new zircon uranium-lead and hafnium isotope data from the Yilgarn Craton, Australia, which provides an extensive record of Hadean–Eoarchaean evolved magmatism. These data reveal that the first stable, evolved rocks in the Yilgarn Craton formed during an influx of juvenile (recently extracted from the mantle) magmatic source material into the craton. The concurrent shift to juvenile sources and onset of crustal preservation links craton stabilisation to the accumulation of enduring rafts of buoyant, melt-depleted mantle.",

author = "Mulder, {Jacob A.} and Oliver Nebel and Gardiner, {Nicholas J.} and Cawood, {Peter A.} and Wainwright, {Ashlea N.} and Ivanic, {Timothy J.}",

note = "This work was funded by Australian Research Council grant FL160100168 and Australian Research Council grant DP180100580. ",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-021-23805-6",

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T1 - Crustal rejuvenation stabilised Earth’s first cratons

AU - Mulder, Jacob A.

AU - Nebel, Oliver

AU - Gardiner, Nicholas J.

AU - Cawood, Peter A.

AU - Wainwright, Ashlea N.

AU - Ivanic, Timothy J.

N1 - This work was funded by Australian Research Council grant FL160100168 and Australian Research Council grant DP180100580.

PY - 2021/6/10

Y1 - 2021/6/10

N2 - The formation of stable, evolved (silica-rich) crust was essential in constructing Earth’s first cratons, the ancient nuclei of continents. Eoarchaean (4000–3600 million years ago, Ma) evolved crust occurs on most continents, yet evidence for older, Hadean evolved crust is mostly limited to rare Hadean zircons recycled into younger rocks. Resolving why the preserved volume of evolved crust increased in the Eoarchaean is key to understanding how the first cratons stabilised. Here we report new zircon uranium-lead and hafnium isotope data from the Yilgarn Craton, Australia, which provides an extensive record of Hadean–Eoarchaean evolved magmatism. These data reveal that the first stable, evolved rocks in the Yilgarn Craton formed during an influx of juvenile (recently extracted from the mantle) magmatic source material into the craton. The concurrent shift to juvenile sources and onset of crustal preservation links craton stabilisation to the accumulation of enduring rafts of buoyant, melt-depleted mantle.

AB - The formation of stable, evolved (silica-rich) crust was essential in constructing Earth’s first cratons, the ancient nuclei of continents. Eoarchaean (4000–3600 million years ago, Ma) evolved crust occurs on most continents, yet evidence for older, Hadean evolved crust is mostly limited to rare Hadean zircons recycled into younger rocks. Resolving why the preserved volume of evolved crust increased in the Eoarchaean is key to understanding how the first cratons stabilised. Here we report new zircon uranium-lead and hafnium isotope data from the Yilgarn Craton, Australia, which provides an extensive record of Hadean–Eoarchaean evolved magmatism. These data reveal that the first stable, evolved rocks in the Yilgarn Craton formed during an influx of juvenile (recently extracted from the mantle) magmatic source material into the craton. The concurrent shift to juvenile sources and onset of crustal preservation links craton stabilisation to the accumulation of enduring rafts of buoyant, melt-depleted mantle.

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-23805-6

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 12

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 3535

ER -

Crustal rejuvenation stabilised Earth’s first cratons

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