Deep continental roots and cratons

Pearson, D. Graham; Scott, James M.; Liu, Jingao; Schaeffer, Andrew; Wang, Lawrence Hongliang; van Hunen, Jeroen; Szilas, Kristoffer; Chacko, Thomas; Keleman, Peter B.

doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03600-5

Deep continental roots and cratons

Pearson, D. Graham; Scott, James M.; Liu, Jingao; Schaeffer, Andrew; Wang, Lawrence Hongliang; van Hunen, Jeroen; Szilas, Kristoffer; Chacko, Thomas; Keleman, Peter B.

Authors

D. Graham Pearson

James M. Scott

Jingao Liu

Andrew Schaeffer

Lawrence Hongliang Wang

Professor Jeroen Van Hunen jeroen.van-hunen@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Kristoffer Szilas

Thomas Chacko

Peter B. Keleman

Abstract

The formation and preservation of cratons - the oldest parts of the continents comprising over 60% of the continental landmass - remains an enduring problem. Key to craton development is how and when the thick strong mantle roots that underlie these regions formed and evolved. Peridotite melting residues forming cratonic lithospheric roots mostly originated via relatively low-pressure melting and were subsequently transported to greater depth by thickening produced by lateral accretion and compression. The longest-lived cratons assembled during Mesoarchean and Paleoproterozoic times, creating the 150 to 250 km thick, stable mantle roots that are critical to preserving Earth’s early continents and central to defining the cratons although we extend the definition of cratons to include extensive regions of long-stable Mesoproterzoic crust also underpinned by thick lithospheric roots. The production of widespread thick and strong lithosphere via the process of orogenic thickening, possibly in several cycles, was fundamental to the eventual emergence of extensive continental landmasses - the cratons.

Citation

Pearson, D. G., Scott, J. M., Liu, J., Schaeffer, A., Wang, L. H., van Hunen, J., …Keleman, P. B. (2021). Deep continental roots and cratons. Nature, 596(7871), 199-210. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03600-5

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Apr 30, 2021
Online Publication Date	Aug 11, 2021
Publication Date	Aug 12, 2021
Deposit Date	Jul 13, 2021
Publicly Available Date	Feb 11, 2022
Journal	Nature
Print ISSN	0028-0836
Electronic ISSN	1476-4687
Publisher	Nature Research
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	596
Issue	7871
Pages	199-210
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03600-5
Publisher URL	https://www.nature.com/nature/research-articles