Early Earth tectonics: A high-resolution 3D numerical modelling approach

Abstract:

Early Earth had a higher amount of radiogenic elements as well as a higher amount of leftover primordial heat. Both contribute to the increased temperature in the Earth’s interior and it is mainly this increased mantle potential temperature Tp that controls the dynamics of the crust and upper mantle and the predominant style of tectonics in the Early Earth.

We conduct 3D petrological-magmatic-thermomechanical numerical modelling experiments of the crust and upper mantle under Early Earth conditions using a plume tectonics model setup. For varying crustal structures and a mantle potential temperature increase (ΔTp, compared to present day conditions), a hot lower thermal boundary layer introduces spontaneously developing mantle plumes and after repeated melt removal, depleted mantle lithosphere is formed self-consistently. New crust is produced in the form of both volcanics and plutonics.

For an increase in mantle potential temperature ΔT_p= 250 K, presumably corresponding to an Archean mantle, models show large amounts of subcrustal decompression melting and consequently large amounts of magmatism, which in turn influence the dynamics.

In a first active phase (10-20 Ma) rising diapirs within the crust lead to the formation of the typical dome and keel pattern (e.g. Kaapvaal craton in South Africa, Pilbara craton in northwest Australia). A long passive phase follows with strong growth of crust and lithosphere. Both crust and lithosphere thickness are regulated by thermal-chemical instabilities assisted by lower crust eclogitization. Eclogitization depth is reached after ~80 Ma and linear or cylindrical drips originate at the crust or lithosphere bottom. Delamination of lower crust and lithosphere then occurs as one ‘catastrophic’ event within the next 20 Ma.