Abstract
Modern oceanic crust is constantly produced at oceanic ridges and recycled back into the mantle at subduction zones via plate tectonics. An outstanding question in geology is whether the Earth started in a non-plate tectonic regime, and if it did, when the transition to the modern regime occurred. This is a complicated question to address because Archaean rocks lack modern equivalents to anchor interpretations. Here, we present a silicon isotopic study of 4.0–2.8-Gyr-old tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorites, as well as Palaeozoic granites and modern adakites. We show that Archaean granitoids have heavier silicon isotopic compositions than granites and adakites, regardless of melting pressure. This is best explained if Archaean granitoids were formed by melting of subducted basaltic crust enriched in sedimentary silica through interaction with seawater. Before the appearance of silica-forming organisms 0.5–0.6 billion years ago, the oceans were close to silicon saturation, which led to extensive precipitation of cherts on the seafloor. This is in contrast to modern oceans, where silica biomineralization maintains dissolved silicon at low concentration. The unique heavy silicon isotope signature of cherts has been transferred to Archaean granitoids during an oceanic subduction process, which was probably responsible for the formation of felsic rocks on Archaean emerged lands. Archaean granitic rocks formed by melting of silica-enriched subducted basaltic crust through interaction with seawater, according to heavy silicon isotopes measured in Archaean samples.
Highlights
To cite this version: Zhengbin Deng, Marc Chaussidon, Martin Guitreau, Igor Puchtel, Nicolas Dauphas, et al
Modern oceanic crust is constantly produced at oceanic ridges and recycled back into the mantle at subduction zones via plate tectonics
We show that Archaean granitoids have heavier silicon isotopic compositions than granites and adakites, regardless of melting pressure
Summary
Si isotopic data for Archaean TTGs and komatiites, Phanerozoic I- and A-type granites, and modern basalts, peridotites and adakites are shown as insets (from this study (Supplementary Dataset 1) and the literature (as compiled in Supplementary Dataset 2)). Mineral assemblages in magma sources, including major (plagioclase, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, hornblende and garnet) and accessory (for example, ilmenite, titanite and rutile) phases, during partial melting of a basaltic protolith are intimately related to the details ipnrSeusspuprlee–mteemntpaerryaItnurfoe–rmHa2Otionco).nIdnittihoensdisocfusmsieolntinbge7l,o24w(, sweee assume water saturation, but our conclusions do not rely heavily on this assumption, as Si isotopic fractionation during melting of the crust is mostly sensitive to the presence of plagioclase in the source, which we trace directly using the Sr/Sr* anomaly, that is, Sr=Sr* 1⁄4 SrN=pffiCffiffiffieffiffiNffiffiffiffiffiffiffiNffiffiffidffiffiffiNffiffi (subscript ‘N’ represents a normalizatiIon to the bulk-silicate Earth values[25]; Fig. 2).
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