Cratonic Lithosphere Research Articles

Seismic anisotropy beneath the southern Ordos block and the Qinling-Dabie orogen, China: Eastward Tibetan asthenospheric flow around the southern Ordos

SKS wave splitting analysis is performed to estimate the seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle using teleseismic data recorded by a temporary seismic array of 180 stations called SOSArray deployed in the southern Ordos block and the Qinling-Dabie orogen. The most important finding is that large delay times with NW-SE fast polarization directions in the northeastern Tibet are continuous across the boundary into the southwestern part of the Ordos block, where the SKS wave splitting results are significantly different from those in the rest of the Ordos block. Based on our SKS wave splitting results in addition to the results from previous studies, we propose an asthenospheric flow model for the eastward extrusion of the Tibetan upper mantle. The model consists of two corner flows around the southwestern corner and the southeastern corner of the Ordos block and the eastward flow along the Weihe graben and the Qinling-Dabie orogen for the escaping Tibetan upper mantle. Finally, the clockwise turning flow of the asthenosphere around the southwestern corner of Ordos block has currently extended laterally into the interior of the Ordos block, suggesting that the thick cold lithospheric root of the southwestern Ordos block there is currently being replaced with hot Tibetan asthenosphere at depths, that is, we observed an on-going process of thermal erosion of a cratonic lithosphere by lateral hot asthenospheric flow.

Midlithospheric discontinuities and complex anisotropic layering in the mantle lithosphere beneath the Wyoming and Superior Provinces

AbstractThe observation of widespread seismic discontinuities within Archean and Proterozoic lithosphere is intriguing, as their presence may shed light on the formation and early evolution of cratons. A clear explanation for the discontinuities, which generally manifest as a sharp decrease in seismic velocity with depth, remains elusive. Recent work has suggested that midlithospheric discontinuities (MLDs) may correspond to a sharp gradient in seismic anisotropy, produced via deformation associated with craton formation. Here we test this hypothesis beneath the Archean Superior and Wyoming Provinces using anisotropic Ps receiver function (RF) analysis to characterize the relationship between MLDs and seismic anisotropy. We computed radial and transverse component RFs for 13 long‐running seismic stations. Of these, six stations with particularly clear signals were analyzed using a harmonic regression technique. In agreement with previous studies, we find evidence for multiple MLDs within the cratonic lithosphere of the Wyoming and Superior Provinces. Our harmonic regression results reveal that (1) MLDs can be primarily explained by an isotropic negative velocity gradient, (2) multiple anisotropic boundaries exist within the lithospheric mantle, (3) the isotropic MLD and the anisotropic boundaries do not necessarily occur at the same depths, and (4) the depth and geometry of the anisotropic boundaries vary among stations. We infer that the MLD does not directly correspond to a change in anisotropy within the mantle lithosphere. Furthermore, our results reveal a surprising level of complexity within the cratonic lithospheric mantle, suggesting that the processes responsible for shaping surface geology produce similar structural complexity at depth.

Plates or plumes in the origin of kimberlites: U/Pb perovskite and Sr-Nd-Hf-Os-C-O isotope constraints from the Superior craton (Canada)

Neoproterozoic kimberlite, ultramafic lamprophyre, and carbonatite magmatic activity was widespread across the Canadian-Greenland Shield. Models to explain the preponderance of this deeply-derived CO2-rich magmatism between 680–540Ma range from impingement of multiple mantle plumes to rifting activity linked to the breakout of the Laurentian plate from the Rodinia supercontinent configuration. We add to the debate about the origin of kimberlite magmas and evaluate possible mantle sources of the 655Ma ‘diamond-rich’ Renard (new SIMS U/Pb perovskite ages) and 629Ma ‘barren’ Wemindji kimberlites on the eastern Superior craton in Quebec, Canada.Our Sr-Nd-Hf and carbon isotope data (87Sr/86Sri=0.70241–0.70442; εNdi=+0.2 to +4.8; εHfi=+0.3 to +6.5; δ13C=−5.6 to −3.9‰) suggest a common and moderately depleted convecting upper mantle source region for both the Renard and Wemindji kimberlites, which occur 400 km apart in the interior of the Superior craton. In contrast, the low Os isotope ratios (187Os/188Osi=0.11078–0.12620; γOsi=−13.7 to −1.6) and unfractionated chondritic relative HSE abundances (Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, Re) indicate significant involvement of ancient refractory cratonic mantle material in kimberlite magma formation. Our model calculations suggest that for both the diamond-rich Renard and the barren Wemindji kimberlite magmas up to 30% of the Os was derived from refractory cratonic peridotites. This material might have been assimilated by originally more CO2-rich carbonated silicate melts derived from the asthenosphere. We also show that the geochemical and Sr-Nd-Hf-Os isotopic compositions of the Renard and Wemindji kimberlites do not require significant input from melts derived from olivine-poor cratonic mantle lithologies such as MARID-type veins and pyroxenites/eclogites. This contrasts with the petrogenesis of deeply-derived volatile-rich potassic magmas found along the peripheries of cratons (e.g., ultramafic lamprophyres, kamafugites, and olivine lamproites), a setting where abundant non-peridotitic components have been added to the lithospheric mantle over the course of continent evolution.Provided that CO2-rich melts, such as proto-kimberlites, occur near the solidus of volatile-fluxed peridotites, no excess mantle heat is required in their formation. This important but often overlooked constraint, together with the observation that there exist no spatial or temporal relationships between the Superior craton kimberlites and Large Igneous Provinces during the Late Neoproterozoic, suggests that kimberlite magmatic activity was tectonically controlled. In our preferred model, ubiquitous CO2-rich proto-kimberlite melts form during volatile-controlled redox melting processes at ambient mantle temperatures in a thermal boundary layer directly beneath thick cratonic lithosphere. The success rate of ‘evolving’ hybrid kimberlite magmas reaching Earth’s surface increases when tensile stresses propagate into the >200km thick keels of continental lithosphere. These conditions are frequently met during fast and changing plate motions associated with the assembly and breakup of supercontinents.

Olivine inclusions in Siberian diamonds and mantle xenoliths: Contrasting water and trace-element contents

A subject of continuing debate is how the Earth's lithospheric portion of the upper mantle has remained the thickest (>200km) and oldest (>3Gy) beneath cratons and is yet surrounded by a vigorously convecting asthenosphere. It is generally admitted that water is a key parameter in the strength and longevity of cratonic roots, because olivine, the main phase of the lithospheric mantle, becomes stronger if its water content decreases. Expanding upon the work presented in Novella et al. (2015) and Taylor et al. (2016), we report new water contents for additional olivine inclusions in diamonds together with the trace-element composition for all olivine inclusions, as well as for mantle xenoliths from various kimberlite pipes located on the Siberian craton. The olivine diamond inclusions from this study have systematically low-water contents (<50ppmw H2O), moderate to high forsterite (e.g., Fo91–94) contents and low Ni, Co, and Zn ppm contents (e.g., <2848, <108, and <47ppm, respectively). In contrast, olivines from Siberian craton mantle xenoliths have a wide range of water contents (6–323ppmw H2O) and extend to lower-Fo (91–92), Ni, Co, and Zn-rich compositions, compared to the diamond inclusions. Depleted incompatible trace-element concentrations in olivine (0.1–0.001×Primitive Mantle) advance our hypothesis for the protogenetic origins for the majority of Siberian diamond inclusions. These observations are consistent with the peridotite xenoliths as representing a part of the cratonic lithosphere that has experienced melt re-fertilization, which has also transported water. The olivine diamond inclusions, on the other hand, preserve “micro-samples” of an initial, dry cratonic lithosphere, mostly resulting from melting events. These inclusions are likely sourced from the initial cratonic mantle lithosphere, which thereby, resisted delamination over time, due to its buoyancy and strength, imparted from melt and water depletion, respectively. And thus, our data provides a major argument that the kimberlite-hosted mantle xenoliths may be more metasomatized than common rocks at the base of the Siberian and other cratonic roots away from kimberlite fields.

Magnesium isotopic heterogeneity across the cratonic lithosphere in eastern China and its origins

Available data in the literature have demonstrated a broad magnesium (Mg) isotope range for mantle and lower continental crustal rocks, implying an isotopically heterogeneous continental lithosphere, but its origin has not been thoroughly understood. Here, to investigate the primary cause of lithospheric Mg isotopic heterogeneity, we report major-trace elements, Sr and Mg isotope data for thirty deep-seated mafic xenoliths, which sampled different lithospheric depths in the southeastern North China Craton (NCC). The xenoliths are classified into three types based upon petrology and mineralogy, sampling from middle continental crust (Group I), lower continental crust (Group II) and lithospheric mantle (Group III), respectively. The Group I xenoliths have mantle-like to slightly high δ26Mg values (−0.32‰ to +0.01‰), whereas some of the Group II xenoliths have very low δ26Mg values (−0.93‰ to −0.07‰), reflecting substantial reaction with intracrustal carbonate-derived fluids. Combined with data in the literature, the results suggest that the Mg isotopic composition of the lower continental crust is much more heterogeneous and lighter on average relative to the middle continental crust. Except for one sample, the Group III xenoliths have extremely low δ26Mg values (−1.23‰ to −0.73‰), the lightest among values already reported for mantle-derived rocks including peridotites and basalts. They also have highly variable 87Sr/86Sr ratios, of 0.70387 to 0.71675. The covariation of Mg and Sr isotopes in Group III xenoliths can be explained by Mg and Sr isotopic exchange reactions during mantle metasomatism, implying that the sub-continental mantle has been significantly modified by fluids derived from recycled carbonate-pelite bearing oceanic crust. Together with the metasomatism age of ∼400 Ma obtained for one Group III xenolith, the results provide new evidence for the presence of extremely low-δ26Mg rocks in the lithosphere and indicate ancient carbonate recycling during Paleo-Tethys slab subduction. Experimental and computational studies have demonstrated that the solubility of carbonate in aqueous fluids increases with increasing pressures. Therefore, we suggest that the decreasing δ26Mg values of mantle-derived rocks with increasing depths across cratonic lithosphere, as found in the NCC and other regions, have probably been caused by carbonate metasomatism to various extents at different lithospheric depths.

Thermochemical structure of the North China Craton from multi-observable probabilistic inversion: Extent and causes of cratonic lithosphere modification

We present a 3D thermochemical model of the North China Craton (NCC) from the surface down to 350km by jointly inverting surface wave phase velocity data, geoid height, surface heat flow and absolute elevation with a multi-observable probabilistic inversion method. Our model reveals a thin (~65–100km) and chemically fertile lithosphere (87<Mg#<90) beneath the Eastern NCC, consistent with independent results from mantle xenoliths, and supports the idea that the Eastern NCC experienced significant lithospheric destruction and refertilization during the Phanerozoic. In contrast, beneath the Trans-North China Orogen, Inner Mongolia Suture Zone and Yinshan belt, we observe a more heterogeneous (chemically and thermally) lithosphere, indicating that these areas have been partly involved in lithospheric modification and mechanical erosion at multiple scales. A cold and chemically refractory (Mg#>90) lithospheric mantle is imaged beneath the central TNCO and Ordos Block, reaching depths >260km. This lithospheric “keel” is surrounded to the east by a high-temperature sublithospheric anomaly that originates at depths >280km. The spatial distribution of this anomaly and its correlation with the location of recent volcanism in the region suggest that the anomaly represents a deep mantle upwelling being diverted by the cratonic keel and spreading onto regions of shallow lithosphere. Our results indicate that the present-day thermochemical structure beneath the NCC is the result of a complex interaction between a large-scale return flow associated with the subduction of the Pacific slab and the shallow lithospheric structure.

Anisotropic zonation in the lithosphere of Central North America: Influence of a strong cratonic lithosphere on the Mid-Continent Rift

We present shear-wave splitting analyses of SKS and SKKS waves recorded at sixteen Superior Province Rifting Earthscope Experiment (SPREE) seismic stations on the north shore of Lake Superior, as well as fifteen selected Earthscope Transportable Array instruments south of the lake. These instruments bracket the Mid-Continent Rift (MCR) and sample the Superior, Penokean, Yavapai and Mazatzal tectonic provinces. The data set can be explained by a single layer of anisotropic fabric, which we interpret to be dominated by a lithospheric contribution. The fast S polarization directions are consistently ENE-WSW, but the split time varies greatly across the study area, showing strong anisotropy (up to 1.48s) in the western Superior, moderate anisotropy in the eastern Superior, and moderate to low anisotropy in the terranes south of Lake Superior. We locate two localized zones of very low split time (<0.6s) adjacent to the MCR: one in the Nipigon Embayment, an MCR-related magmatic feature immediately north of Lake Superior, and the other adjacent to the eastern end of the lake, at the southern end of the Kapuskasing Structural Zone (KSZ). Both low-splitting zones are adjacent to sharp bends in the MCR axis. We interpret these two zones, along with a low-velocity linear feature imaged by a previous tomographic study beneath Minnesota and the Dakotas, as failed lithospheric branches of the MCR. Given that all three of these branches failed to propagate into the Superior Province lithosphere, we propose that the sharp bend of the MCR through Lake Superior is a consequence of the high mechanical strength of the Superior lithosphere ca. 1.1Ga.

Anisotropic tomography of the European lithospheric structure from surface wave studies

AbstractWe present continental‐scale seismic isotropic and anisotropic imaging of shear wave upper‐mantle structure of tectonically diversified terranes creating the European continent. Taking into account the 36–200 s period range of surface waves enables us to model the deep subcontinental structure at different vertical scale‐lengths down to 300 km. After very strict quality selection criteria, we have obtained phase wave speeds at different periods for fundamental Rayleigh and Love modes from about 9000 three‐component seismograms. Dispersion measurements are performed by using Fourier‐domain waveform inversion technique named “roller‐coaster‐type” algorithm. We used the reference model with a varying average crustal structure for each source‐station path. That procedure led to significant improvement of the quality and number of phase wave speed dispersion measurements compared to the common approach of using a reference model with one average crustal structure. Surface wave dispersion data are inverted at depth for retrieving isotropy and anisotropy parameters. The fast axis directions related to azimuthal anisotropy at different depths constitute a rich database for geodynamical interpretations. Shear wave anomalies of the horizontal dimension larger than 200 km are imaged in our models. They correlate with tectonic provinces of varying age‐provenance. Different anisotropy patterns are observed along the most distinctive feature on our maps–the bordering zone between the Palaeozoic and Precambrian Europe. We discuss the depth changes of the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary along the profiles crossing the chosen tectonic units of different origin and age: Fennoscandia, East European Craton, Anatolia, Mediterranean subduction zones. Within the flat and stable cratonic lithosphere, we find traces of the midlithospheric discontinuity.

Lithospheric Structure of the Northeastern North China Craton Imaged by S Receiver Functions

Lithosphere thickness variation is important for understanding the significant tectonic reactivation of the North China Craton (NCC) in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic time. Here, we determined the lithospheric structure in the northeastern NCC using S receiver functions from 305 teleseismic events recorded by 223 seismic stations. The Moho and lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB) are imaged clearly beneath the region. The Moho depth decreases from ~45 km beneath the western NCC to ~25 km beneath the eastern NCC. We found that the lithospheric thickness varies from 60 to 80 km beneath the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO) and eastern NCC with no significant change of the LAB depth. The lithosphere thickness beneath the northwestern Ordos plateau is 100–130 km. In addition, there is a mid-lithosphere discontinuity at a depth of 80 km beneath the plateau that is connected to the base of thinned lithosphere in TNCO and eastern NCC. We suggest that the mid-lithosphere discontinuity represents a mechanically weak zone in the original cratonic lithosphere of the NCC. The material in the lower lithosphere of the craton, when warmed and hydrated by water released from the subducting slab of Western Pacific, became weak due to decrease in viscosity and/or partial melting and was subsequently removed through small-scale mantle convections.

Heat flux and topography constraints on thermochemical structure below North China Craton regions and implications for evolution of cratonic lithosphere

AbstractThe eastern North China Craton (NCC) has undergone extensive reactivation during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, while the western NCC has remained stable throughout its geological history. Geophysical and geochemical observations, including heat flux, surface topography, crustal and lithospheric thicknesses, and volcanism, show significant contrast between the eastern and western NCC. These observations provide constraints on thermochemical structure and reactivation process of the eastern NCC, thus helping understand the dynamic evolution of cratonic lithosphere. In this study, we determined the residual topography for the NCC region by removing crustal contribution to the topography. We found that the residual topography of the eastern NCC region is generally 0.3–0.9 km higher than the western NCC. We computed a large number of two‐dimension thermochemical convection models for gravitational instability of cratonic lithosphere and quantified surface heat flux and topography contrasts between stable and destabilized parts of cratonic lithosphere. These models consider different chemical buoyancy (i.e., buoyancy number B) and viscosity for the cratonic lithosphere. Our models suggest that to explain the difference in heat flux (25–30 mW/m2) and residual topography (0.3–0.9 km) between the eastern and western NCC regions, the buoyancy number B is required to be ~0.3–0.4. This range of B implies that as much as 50% of the original cratonic lithospheric material remains in the present‐day eastern NCC lithosphere and its underlying shallow mantle and that the new lithosphere in the eastern NCC may be a mixture of the relics of old craton materials and the normal mantle.

Thermal erosion of cratonic lithosphere as a potential trigger for mass-extinction.

The temporal coincidence between large igneous provinces (LIPs) and mass extinctions has led many to pose a causal relationship between the two. However, there is still no consensus on a mechanistic model that explains how magmatism leads to the turnover of terrestrial and marine plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. Here we present a synthesis of ammonite biostratigraphy, isotopic data and high precision U-Pb zircon dates from the Triassic-Jurassic (T-J) and Pliensbachian-Toarcian (Pl-To) boundaries demonstrating that these biotic crises are both associated with rapid change from an initial cool period to greenhouse conditions. We explain these transitions as a result of changing gas species emitted during the progressive thermal erosion of cratonic lithosphere by plume activity or internal heating of the lithosphere. Our petrological model for LIP magmatism argues that initial gas emission was dominated by sulfur liberated from sulfide-bearing cratonic lithosphere before CO2 became the dominant gas. This model offers an explanation of why LIPs erupted through oceanic lithosphere are not associated with climatic and biotic crises comparable to LIPs emitted through cratonic lithosphere.

Rayleigh wave azimuthally anisotropic phase velocity maps beneath western Canada

AbstractThe lithospheric evolution of western Laurentia spans several billion years of Earth history and provides an exceptional opportunity for investigating continental deformation during Archean and Proterozoic assembly of the craton and subsequent Phanerozoic orogenic processes along its western margin. In this study we present fundamental‐mode Rayleigh wave azimuthal anisotropy in the period range 20–150 s for western Laurentia and the southern Canadian Cordillera. The surface wave phase velocity maps offer new constraints on the depth distribution of seismic anisotropy in this region. At short periods (20–25 s), strong anisotropy with an orogen‐parallel fast direction is evident in the Cordillera and neighboring foreland belt, suggesting pervasive ductile deformation in the lower crust during Laramide orogenesis. At periods of 70 s and higher, a zone of low‐to‐null azimuthal anisotropy is evident in the southern part of the Cordillera. This apparent null region is interpreted to reflect complex asthenospheric flow due to the combined effects of the Juan de Fuca slab window, lithospheric delamination, and small‐scale edge‐driven convection. Depth‐variant azimuthal anisotropy is evident beneath the cratonic part of the study region. The dominant direction of fast wave propagation in the southeastern part of the craton changes from N‐S at periods of &lt;120 s to NE‐SW at 150 s period. This depth dependence is inferred to arise from different origins of the observed anisotropy, with “frozen” anisotropy within cratonic lithosphere underlain by flow‐driven anisotropy in the asthenosphere. The frozen N‐S trending fabrics in the middle to lower cratonic lithosphere most likely reflect processes of Paleoproterozoic assembly of western Laurentia.

The water content and hydrogen isotope composition of continental lithospheric mantle and mantle-derived mafic igneous rocks in eastern China

The water contents of minerals and whole-rock in mantle-derived xenoliths from eastern China exhibit large variations and are generally lower than those from other on- and off-craton lithotectonic units. Nevertheless, the water contents of mineral and whole-rock in Junan peridotite xenoliths, which sourced from the juvenile lithospheric mantle, are generally higher than those elsewhere in eastern China. This suggests that the initial water content of juvenile lithospheric mantle is not low. There is no obvious correlation between the water contents and Mg# values of minerals in the mantle xenoliths and no occurrence of diffusion profile in pyroxene, suggesting no relationship between the low water content of mantle xenolith and the diffusion loss of water during xenolith ascent with host basaltic magmas. If the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) base is heated by the asthenospheric mantle, the diffusion loss of water is expected to occur. On the other hand, extraction of basaltic melts from the SCLM is a more efficient mechanism to reduce the water content of xenoliths. The primary melts of Mesozoic and Cenozoic basalts in eastern China have water contents, as calculated from the water contents of phenocrysts, higher than those of normal mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). The Mesozoic basalts exhibit similar water contents to those of island arc basalts, whereas the Cenozoic basalts exhibit comparable water contents to oceanic island basalts and backarc basin basalts with some of them resembling island arc basalts. These observations suggest the water enrichment in the mantle source of continental basalts due to metasomatism by aqueous fluids and hydrous melts derived from dehydration and melting of deeply subducted crust. Mantle-derived megacrysts, minerals in xenoliths and phenocrysts in basalts from eastern China also exhibit largely variable hydrogen isotope compositions, indicating a large isotopic heterogeneity for the Cenozoic SCLM in eastern China. The water content that is higher than that of depleted MORB mantle and the hydrogen isotope composition that is deviated from that of depleted MORB mantle suggest that the Cenozoic continental lithospheric mantle suffered the metasomatism by hydrous melts derived from partial melting of the subducted Pacific slab below eastern China continent. The metasomatism would lead to the increase of water content in the SCLM base and then to the decrease of its viscosity. As a consequence, the SCLM base would be weakened and thus susceptible to tectonic erosion and delamination. As such, the crust-mantle interaction in oceanic subduction channel is the major cause for thinning of the craton lithosphere in North China.

Origin of the Adventure Subglacial Trench linked to Cenozoic extension in the East Antarctic Craton

The Antarctic plate occupies a unique geodynamic setting being mostly surrounded by divergent or transform margins. Major intracontinental basins and highlands characterize its bedrock, buried under the 34Ma East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Their formation atop of the cratonic lithosphere in the interior of East Antarctica remains a major open question. Post-Mesozoic intraplate extensional tectonic activity has been proposed for their development and is supported by this work. Here we focus on the Adventure Subglacial Trench (AST) whose origin is poorly constrained and controversial, as currently available geophysical models suggest either extensional or compressional tectonic origin. The AST is an over 250-km-long, 60-km-wide subglacial trough, elongated in the NNW–SSE direction adjacent to the westernmost flank of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, and is parallel to regional scale alignments of magnetic and gravimetric anomalies. Geophysical campaigns allowed better definition of the AST physiography showing its typical half-graben geometry. The rounded morphology of the western flank of the AST was simulated through tectonic numerical modelling. We consider the subglacial landscape to primarily reflect a preserved relict of the tectonic processes affecting the interior of East Antarctica in the Cenozoic, due to the negligible erosion/deposition capability of the EAIS. The bedrock morphology was replicated through the activity of the listric Adventure Fault, characterized by a basal detachment at the base of the crust (34km) and a vertical displacement of 2.5km. This length suggests its regional/crustal importance. The predicted displacement is interpreted either as a newly formed fault or as the partial reactivation of a weaker zone along a major Precambrian crustal-scale tectonic boundary. The extensional regime in the AST is part of a more extensive 800-km long intraplate corridor characterized by nearly along-strike extension in Cenozoic times with a left-lateral transpressional component. This corridor may represent the effect of far-field stresses induced by plate motions.

Distribution and Processing of Highly Siderophile Elements in Cratonic Mantle Lithosphere

Cratonic lithospheric mantle is composed of predominantly refractory materials that formed at higher mantle potential temperatures ( T P) than recorded in non-cratonic peridotites. It also shows stronger depletion and fractionation of Pd and Pt from Ru, Os and Ir than oceanic, supra-subduction zone or off-cratonic lithospheric mantle, as well as some of the lowest Se and Te contents. The varied response of the highly siderophile elements (HSE: Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd, Re, Au), and their embedded radioactive decay systems, to changes in oxygen fugacity ( f O2), sulfur fugacity ( f S2) and pressure ( P )—in particular through the impact of these parameters on the stability of the main HSE-bearing sulfide and alloy phases makes them potentially powerful tracers of their melting environment. Therefore, investigation of the HSE systematics of cratonic mantle peridotites, in combination with information from Re–Os isotopes on time-integrated enrichment or depletion, can help us to understand processes leading to mantle differentiation and continental lithosphere formation in the Archean, which are controversial subjects despite decades of research. The longevity of the cratonic lithosphere implies that there was ample opportunity for secondary overprint, obscuring our view of earlier processes. For example, destabilization of platinum-group element (PGE: Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd) alloy leading to depletions in the compatible PGE, and perhaps Pt, in some cratonic mantle samples may occur in an oxidizing mantle wedge or through interaction with oxidizing small-volume, volatile-rich melts that typically invade cratonic roots. Such melts may eventually deposit S, Pd, Pt and Re and also capture remaining PGE alloys, consistent with the anomalous S-rich character of many kimberlite-borne xenoliths. Their basalt-borne counterparts show additional late effects of subaerial degassing that can deplete volatile elements (S, Re, Os). Basaltic melts can also scavenge PGE alloys at depth, while still sulfide-undersaturated. Such melts, may, …

Termination time of peak decratonization in North China: Geochemical evidence from mafic igneous rocks

Geophysical and petrological data indicate destruction of the cratonic lithosphere in North China in the Mesozoic, resulting in replacement of the ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) by the juvenile SCLM. However, it remains to be answered when the craton destruction would have been terminated in the Mesozoic. This question is resolved by studying the two types of mafic igneous rocks with contrasting geochemical compositions from North China. The first type of mafic igneous rock shows arc-like trace element distribution patterns and enriched radiogenic Sr–Nd isotope compositions, with emplacement ages spanning from the Triassic to Early Cretaceous. The mafic magmatism is absent in a period from ~200Ma to ~135Ma, recording the thinning of cratonic lithosphere due to the westward flat subduction of the Paleo-Pacific slab beneath the North China Craton. In contrast, the second type of mafic igneous rocks exhibits oceanic island basalts (OIB)-like trace element distribution patterns and relatively depleted radiogenic Sr–Nd isotope compositions, with emplacement ages spanning from the Early Cretaceous to Cenozoic. Zircon U–Pb dating yields an age of ~121Ma for the geochemical transformation between the two types of mafic igneous rocks. This age marks a dramatic demarcation in the composition of their mantle sources. As such, the nature of mantle lithosphere in North China was changed from the ancient SCLM to the juvenile SCLM at ~121Ma. Thus, this age not only signifies the tectonic transition from the enriched mantle to the depleted mantle in the Early Cretaceous, but also dates the termination of peak decratonization in North China. Therefore, the craton destruction in the Early Cretaceous is temporally and spatially associated with the dramatic changes in the geochemical composition of mantle lithosphere.

Low water contents in diamond mineral inclusions: Proto-genetic origin in a dry cratonic lithosphere

The mantle is the major reservoir of Earth's water, hosted within Nominally Anhydrous Minerals (NAMs) (e.g., Bell and Rossman, 1992; Peslier et al., 2010; Peslier, 2010; Nestola and Smyth, 2015), in the form of hydrogen bonded to the silicate's structural oxygen. From whence cometh this water? Is the water in these minerals representative of the Earth's primitive upper mantle or did it come from melting events linked to crustal formation or to more recent metasomatic/re-fertilization events? During diamond formation, NAMs are encapsulated at hundreds of kilometers depth within the mantle, thereby possibly shielding and preserving their pristine water contents from re-equilibrating with fluids and melts percolating through the lithospheric mantle. Here we show that the NAMs included in diamonds from six locales on the Siberian Craton contain measurable and variable H2O concentrations from 2 to 34 parts per million by weight (ppmw) in olivine, 7 to 276 ppmw in clinopyroxene, and 11–17 ppmw in garnets. Our results suggest that if the inclusions were in equilibrium with the diamond-forming fluid, the water fugacity would have been unrealistically low. Instead, we consider the H2O contents of the inclusions, shielded by diamonds, as pristine representatives of the residual mantle prior to encapsulation, and indicative of a protogenetic origin for the inclusions. Hydrogen diffusion in the diamond does not appear to have modified these values significantly. The H2O contents of NAMs in mantle xenoliths may represent some later metasomatic event(s), and are not always representative of most of the continental lithospheric mantle. Results from the present study also support the conclusions of Peslier et al. (2010) and Novella et al. (2015) that the dry nature of the SCLM of a craton may provide stabilization of its thickened continental roots.

Insights for the melt migration, the volcanic activity and the ultrafast lithosphere delamination related to the Yellowstone plume (Western USA)

The Yellowstone–East Snake River Plain hotspot track has been intensely studied since several decades and is widely considered to result from the interaction of a mantle plume with the North American plate. An integrated conclusive geodynamic interpretation of this extensive data set is however presently still lacking, and our knowledge of the dynamical processes beneath Yellowstone is patchy. It has been argued that the Yellowstone plume has delaminated the lower part of the thick Wyoming cratonic lithosphere. We derive an original dynamic model to quantify delamination processes related to mantle plume–lithosphere interactions. We show that fast (∼300 ka) lithospheric delamination is consistent with the observed timing of formation of successive volcanic centres along the Yellowstone hotspot track and requires (i) a tensile stress regime within the whole lithosphere exceeding its failure threshold, (ii) a purely plastic rheology in the lithosphere when stresses reach this yield limit, (iii) a dense lower part of the 200 km thick Wyoming lithosphere and (iv) a decoupling melt horizon inside the median part of the lithosphere. We demonstrate that all these conditions are verified and that ∼150 km large and ∼100 km thick lithospheric blocks delaminate within 300 ka when the Yellowstone plume ponded below the 200 km thick Wyoming cratonic lithosphere. Furthermore, we take advantage of the available extensive regional geophysical and geological observation data sets to design a numerical 3-D upper-mantle convective model. We propose a map of the ascending convective sheets contouring the Yellowstone plume. The model further evidences the development of a counter-flow within the lower part of the lithosphere centred just above the Yellowstone mantle plume axis. This counter-flow controls the local lithospheric stress field, and as a result the trajectories of feeder dykes linking the partial melting source within the core of the mantle plume with the crust by crosscutting the lithospheric mantle. This counter-flow further explains the 50 km NE shift observed between the mantle plume axis and the present-day Yellowstone Caldera as well as the peculiar shaped crustal magma chambers.

The electrical resistivity structure of lithosphere across the Dharwar craton nucleus and Coorg block of South Indian shield: Evidence of collision and modified and preserved lithosphere

AbstractMagnetotelluric‐derived two‐dimensional lithospheric resistivity structure of the western Dharwar craton (WDC) and adjoining Coorg block indicates isolated low‐resistivity zones in the crust and three striking upper mantle conductive features within the highly resistive Archean lithosphere. The crustal conductors in the WDC show good spatial correlation with the exposed supracrustal rocks conformable with the relic schist belt channels having conductive mineral grains. Conductive zones within the Coorg crust might be related to the relatively young (933 Ma) metamorphic processes in the area and/or possible fluids derived from the Cretaceous passage of Reunion plume in the proximity of Coorg area. A near‐vertical conductive structure extending from the lower crust into the upper mantle coincides with the transition zone between Coorg and WDC. This is interpreted as the suture zone between the two tectonic blocks and provides evidence for the individuality of the two Archean terrains. An anomalous upper mantle conductive zone found beneath the craton nucleus may indicate a modified cratonic lithosphere. This could have been derived due to the collision between Coorg and WDC and possibly survived by the subsequent multiple episodes of melt and fluid infiltration processes experienced in the region. Thick (~190 km) and preserved lithosphere is mapped at the eastern segment of WDC. Resistive lithosphere of ~125 km thickness is imaged for the Coorg block.

Imaging Canary Island hotspot material beneath the lithosphere of Morocco and southern Spain

The westernmost Mediterranean has developed into its present day tectonic configuration as a result of complex interactions between late stage subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, continental collision of Africa and Eurasia, and the Canary Island mantle plume. This study utilizes S receiver functions (SRFs) from over 360 broadband seismic stations to seismically image the lithosphere and uppermost mantle from southern Spain through Morocco and the Canary Islands. The lithospheric thickness ranges from ∼65 km beneath the Atlas Mountains and the active volcanic islands to over ∼210 km beneath the cratonic lithosphere in southern Morocco. The common conversion point (CCP) volume of the SRFs indicates that thinned lithosphere extends from beneath the Canary Islands offshore southwestern Morocco, to beneath the continental lithosphere of the Atlas Mountains, and then thickens abruptly at the West African craton. Beneath thin lithosphere between the Canary hot spot and southern Spain, including below the Atlas Mountains and the Alboran Sea, there are distinct pockets of low velocity material, as inferred from high amplitude positive, sub-lithospheric conversions in the SRFs. These regions of low seismic velocity at the base of the lithosphere extend beneath the areas of Pliocene–Quaternary magmatism, which has been linked to a Canary hotspot source via geochemical signatures. However, we find that this volume of low velocity material is discontinuous along strike and occurs only in areas of recent volcanism and where asthenospheric mantle flow is identified with shear wave splitting analyses. We propose that the low velocity structure beneath the lithosphere is material flowing sub-horizontally northeastwards beneath Morocco from the tilted Canary Island plume, and the small, localized volcanoes are the result of small-scale upwellings from this material.