The origin of Earth’s first continents and the onset of plate tectonics
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Abstract The growth and recycling of continental crust has resulted in the chemical and thermal modification of Earth’s mantle, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere for ∼4.0 b.y. However, knowledge of the protolith that gave rise to the first continents and whether the environment of formation was a subduction zone still remains unknown. Here, tonalite melts are formed in high P-T experiments in which primitive oceanic plateau starting material is used as an analogue for Eoarchean (3.6–4.0 Ga) oceanic crust generated at early spreading centers. The tonalites are produced at 1.6–2.2 GPa and 900–950 °C and are mixed with slab-derived aqueous fluids to generate melts that have compositions identical to that of Eoarchean continental crust. Our data support the idea that the first continents formed at ca. 4 Ga and subsequently, through the subduction and partial melting of ∼30–45-km-thick Eoarchean oceanic crust, modified Earth’s mantle and Eoarchean environments and ecosystems.
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Archean gray gneisses are unequivocally thought to be components of Earth's earliest continents.
“although Archean gray gneisses are unequivocally thought to be components of Earth's earliest continents”
From Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth (2020) · cites this paper as Hastie et al., 2016
The Introduction identifies Eoarchean tonalite, trondhjemite, and granodiorite (TTG) as major components of early continental crust. It does not identify these rocks as gray gneisses, and it says the mechanisms that generated the first continents remain debated. The specific description and unequivocal wording are therefore not fully supported. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTTG gneisses are typically interpreted as formed through partial melting of amphibolite or eclogite due to drip tectonics or subduction of oceanic plateaus.
“The volumetrically dominant lithology in Archean terranes -TTG gneissesis typically interpreted as formed through partial melting of amphibolite or eclogite due to drip tectonics (Nebel et al., 2018) or subduction of oceanic plateaus (e.g.Martin et al., 2014;Hastie et al., 2016).”
From Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth (2020) · cites this paper as Hastie et al., 2016
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References 42 · Cited by 128
- Authors
- Hastie, A. R., Fitton, J. G., Bromiley, G. D., Butler, I. B., & Odling, N. W. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- 2School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
- Corresponding author
- Hastie, Alan R.
- Venue
- Geology
- Publisher
- Geological Society of America
- Published
- 2016-10-01
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 855-858
- ISSN
- 0091-7613 (ISSN-L)
- 1943-2682
- OpenAlex
- W2511984283
- Cited by
- 128
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 14.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Geology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Cardiff University
- Natural Environment Research Council (IMF010001, NE/J019372/2, NE/J019372/1)
- Division of Ocean Sciences
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Keywords
- plate tectonics onset, tonalite, subduction zone, oceanic crust, slab-derived fluids, early Earth, protolith, high-pressure high-temperature experiments, crustal recycling
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