When Did Plate Tectonics Begin on Planet Earth?

A review of the isotopic and trace element evidence for mantle and crustal processes in the Hadean and Archean: Implications for the onset of plate tectonic subduction
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Published:January 01, 2008
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Steven B Shirey, Balz S Kamber, Martin J Whitehouse, Paul A Mueller, Asish R Basu, 2008. "A review of the isotopic and trace element evidence for mantle and crustal processes in the Hadean and Archean: Implications for the onset of plate tectonic subduction", When Did Plate Tectonics Begin on Planet Earth?, Kent C. Condie, Victoria Pease
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Considerable geochemical evidence supports initiation of plate tectonics on Earth shortly after the end of the Hadean. Nb/Th and Th/U of mafic-ultramafic rocks from the depleted upper mantle began to change from 7 to 18.2 and 4.2 to 2.6 (respectively) at 3.6 Ga. This signals the appearance of subduction-altered slabs in general mantle circulation from subduction initiated by 3.9 Ga. Juvenile crustal rocks began to show derivation from progressively depleted mantle with typical igneous ɛNd: ɛHf = 1:2 after 3.6 Ga. Cratons with stable mantle keels that have subduction imprints began to appear by at least 3.5...
- absolute age
- Archean
- basalts
- convection
- crust
- dates
- Eoarchean
- geodynamics
- Hadean
- igneous rocks
- inclusions
- isotopes
- lithosphere
- mantle
- Mesoproterozoic
- mid-ocean ridge basalts
- Nd/Nd
- nesosilicates
- orthosilicates
- Paleoarchean
- plate tectonics
- Precambrian
- Proterozoic
- silicates
- Sm/Nd
- subduction
- tectonostratigraphic units
- Th/U
- trace elements
- upper mantle
- upper Precambrian
- volcanic rocks
- xenoliths
- zircon
- zircon group