Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism
Abstract Plate tectonics is a unique feature of Earth, but its proposed time of initiation is still controversial, with published estimates ranging from ca. 4.2 to 0.7 Ga. Paleomagnetic data can provide a robust argument for one essential aspect of plate tectonics: large-scale relative lateral motio...
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Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55117-w |
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| author | Jikai Ding Chris Rogers Ulf Söderlund David A. D. Evans Zheng Gong Richard E. Ernst Kevin Chamberlain Taylor Kilian |
| author_facet | Jikai Ding Chris Rogers Ulf Söderlund David A. D. Evans Zheng Gong Richard E. Ernst Kevin Chamberlain Taylor Kilian |
| author_sort | Jikai Ding |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Plate tectonics is a unique feature of Earth, but its proposed time of initiation is still controversial, with published estimates ranging from ca. 4.2 to 0.7 Ga. Paleomagnetic data can provide a robust argument for one essential aspect of plate tectonics: large-scale relative lateral motions of distinct, rigid crustal blocks. Previously, the oldest relative horizontal motion between two or more blocks was constrained to a broad age interval of ca. 2.7–2.17 Ga using paleomagnetic data. In this study, we obtain a robust ca. 2.48 Ga paleomagnetic pole from Wyoming craton. Combining this result with the ca. 2.7–2.17 Ga apparent polar wander paths from Wyoming and Superior cratons, we suggest that they assembled during ca. 2.7–2.5 Ga and remained directly juxtaposed until ca. 2.17 Ga. Tectonostratigraphic data and geological proxies also suggest Wyoming and Superior collided at ca. 2.6 Ga. The results provide strong evidence for relative horizontal motion between crustal blocks during the Neoarchean. Together with other tectonic proxies, the data suggest plate mobilism in operation prior to 2.5 Ga. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c6ebc1a0bace4cdc97f3da12492cb554 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-c6ebc1a0bace4cdc97f3da12492cb5542025-01-05T12:36:45ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-12-011511710.1038/s41467-024-55117-wPaleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilismJikai Ding0Chris Rogers1Ulf Söderlund2David A. D. Evans3Zheng Gong4Richard E. Ernst5Kevin Chamberlain6Taylor Kilian7Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale UniversityDepartment of Earth Sciences, Carleton UniversityDepartment of Geology, Lund UniversityDepartment of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale UniversityDepartment of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale UniversityDepartment of Earth Sciences, Carleton UniversityDepartment of Geology & Geophysics, University of WyomingKoBold MetalsAbstract Plate tectonics is a unique feature of Earth, but its proposed time of initiation is still controversial, with published estimates ranging from ca. 4.2 to 0.7 Ga. Paleomagnetic data can provide a robust argument for one essential aspect of plate tectonics: large-scale relative lateral motions of distinct, rigid crustal blocks. Previously, the oldest relative horizontal motion between two or more blocks was constrained to a broad age interval of ca. 2.7–2.17 Ga using paleomagnetic data. In this study, we obtain a robust ca. 2.48 Ga paleomagnetic pole from Wyoming craton. Combining this result with the ca. 2.7–2.17 Ga apparent polar wander paths from Wyoming and Superior cratons, we suggest that they assembled during ca. 2.7–2.5 Ga and remained directly juxtaposed until ca. 2.17 Ga. Tectonostratigraphic data and geological proxies also suggest Wyoming and Superior collided at ca. 2.6 Ga. The results provide strong evidence for relative horizontal motion between crustal blocks during the Neoarchean. Together with other tectonic proxies, the data suggest plate mobilism in operation prior to 2.5 Ga.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55117-w |
| spellingShingle | Jikai Ding Chris Rogers Ulf Söderlund David A. D. Evans Zheng Gong Richard E. Ernst Kevin Chamberlain Taylor Kilian Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism Nature Communications |
| title | Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism |
| title_full | Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism |
| title_fullStr | Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism |
| title_short | Paleomagnetic evidence for Neoarchean plate mobilism |
| title_sort | paleomagnetic evidence for neoarchean plate mobilism |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55117-w |
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