Early Earth evolution: evidence from the 3.5–1.8 Ga geological history of the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Hickman, Arthur H.; Kranendonk, Martin J. Van

doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2012/v35i1/028

Cited by 97 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…In most simulations, we employ a conservative scenario in which the eruptive efficiency remains constant throughout the simulation, which mimics stiffening of the crust due to eruption of high amounts of mafic lavas (Rubin, 1993). This ratio produces a strong crust, which promotes diking and efficient effusive volcanism, consistent with the thick volcano-sedimentary sequences in Paleo-Archaean terrains (e.g., the East Pilbara craton Hickman & Van Kranendonk, 2012).…”

Section: Initial Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generation of Earth's Early Continents From a Relatively Cool Archean Mantle

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Palin

Kaus

et al. 2019

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Several lines of evidence suggest that the Archean (4.0–2.5 Ga) mantle was hotter than today's potential temperature (TP) of 1350 °C. However, the magnitude of such difference is poorly constrained, with TP estimation spanning from 1500 to 1600 °C during the Meso‐Archean (3.2–2.8 Ga). Such differences have major implications for the interpreted mechanisms of continental crust generation on the early Earth, as their efficacy is highly sensitive to the TP. Here we integrate petrological modeling with thermomechanical simulations to understand the dynamics of crust formation during Archean. Our results predict that partial melting of primitive oceanic crust produces felsic melts with geochemical signatures matching those observed in Archean cratons from a mantle TP as low as 1450 °C thanks to lithospheric‐scale RayleighTaylor‐type instabilities. These simulations also infer the occurrence of intraplate deformation events that allow an efficient transport of crustal material into the mantle, hydrating it.

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Section: Initial Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generation of Earth's Early Continents From a Relatively Cool Archean Mantle

Piccolo

Palin

Kaus

et al. 2019

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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“…Moreover, they interpreted the Warrawoona greenstone successions as remnants of ancient oceanic crusts. In the southern area, greenstones dip south by approximately 30°–70° and are separated by either layer‐parallel thrusts or disconformities (Figure b; Hickman & Van Kranendonk, ; Kitajima et al, , ). Terabayashi et al () report that a prograde metamorphism from prehnite‐pumpellyite to greenschist facies occurred in each stratigraphic unit, and they suggest that the metamorphism resulted from the hydrothermal alteration of ocean‐floor basalt at the mid‐ocean ridge.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and are separated by either layer-parallel thrusts or disconformities (Figure 1b;Hickman & Van Kranendonk, 2012;Kitajima et al, 2008Kitajima et al, , 2012. Terabayashi et al (2003) report that a prograde metamorphism from prehnite-pumpellyite to greenschist facies occurred in each stratigraphic unit, and they suggest that the metamorphism resulted from the hydrothermal alteration of ocean-floor basalt at the mid-ocean ridge.…”

Section: Geological Background Of the North Pole Dome Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, some workers advocate that the thickness of the greenstone successions is too great to be a slice of an oceanic crust. They suggest that successive mantle plume events led to the eruption of the voluminous basaltic pile and melting of the basaltic and older felsic crust (Hickman & Van Kranendonk, ; Smithies et al, , ; Van Kranendonk, ; Van Kranendonk et al, , ). This confusion over the geotectonic interpretation is fomented by an insufficiency of published isotopic data, as shown below.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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U–Pb zircon geochronology of the North Pole Dome adamellite in the eastern Pilbara Craton

et al. 2018

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Supracrustal rocks around the North Pole Dome area, Western Australia, provide valuable information regarding early records of the evolution of crustal processes, surface environments, and biosphere. Owing to the occurrence of the oldest known microfossils, the successions at the North Pole Dome area have attracted interest from many researchers. The Paleoarchean successions (Warrawoona Group) mainly comprise mafic‐ultramafic greenstones with intercalated cherts and felsic lavas. Age constraints on the sediments have been mainly based on zircon U–Pb geochronology. However, many zircon grains have suffered from metamictization and contain anomalously high contents of common Pb, which makes interpretation of the U–Pb data complicated. In order to provide more convincing chronological constraints, an U–Pb Concordia age is widely accepted as the best estimate. Most zircons separated from two adamellites also suffered from severe metamictization. In our analyses, less metamictized domains were selected using a pre‐ablation technique in conjunction with elemental mapping, and then their U–Pb isotopic compositions were determined with a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Most analyzed domains contained certain amounts of common Pb (204Pb/206Pb > 0.000 1), whereas three and five U–Pb data points with less common Pb (204Pb/206Pb < 0.000 1) were obtained. These U–Pb datasets yielded U–Pb Concordia ages of ca 3 445 Ma and 3 454 Ma, respectively. These ages represent the timing of the adamellite intrusion, and constrain the minimum depositional age of the Warrawoona Group. In addition, a single xenocrystic zircon grain showed a 207Pb/206Pb age of ca 3 545 Ma, supporting the idea that the sialic basement of the Pilbara Craton existed prior to 3 500 Ma. The in situ U–Pb zircon dating combined with the pre‐ablation technique has the potentials to identify non‐metamictized parts and to yield precise and accurate geochronological data even from partially metamictized zircons.

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“…The Sholl Shear Zone truncates the coastal Pilbara Terrane and the Whim Creek Group (which formed in a pull‐apart or back‐arc basin setting) and the Whundo Group in the Sholl Terrane (e.g. Hickman, ; Hickman & Van Kranendonk, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Timing and development of sedimentation of the Cleaverville Formation and a post‐accretion pull‐apart system in the Cleaverville area, coastal Pilbara Terrane, Pilbara, Western Australia

et al. 2019

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In the Cleaverville area of Western Australia, the Regal, Dixon Island, and Cleaverville Formations preserve a Mesoarchean lower-greenschist-facies volcano-sedimentary succession in the coastal Pilbara Terrane. These formations are distributed in a rhomboidal-shaped area and are unconformably overlain by two narrowly distributed shallow-marine sedimentary sequences: the Sixty-Six Hill and Forty-Four Hill Members of the Lizard Hills Formation. The former member is preserved within the core of the Cleaverville Syncline and the latter formed along the northeast-trending Eighty-Seven Fault. Based on the metamorphic grade and structures, two deformation events are recognized: D 1 resulted in folding caused by a collisional event, and D 2 resulted in regional sinistral strike-slip deformation. A previous study reported that the Cleaverville Formation was deposited at 3020 Ma, after the Prinsep Orogeny (3070-3050 Ma). Our SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages show that: (i) graded volcaniclastic-felsic tuff within the black shale sequence below the banded iron formation in the Cleaverville Formation yields an age of (3 114 ±14) Ma; (ii) the youngest zircons in sandstones of the Sixty-Six Hill Member, which unconformably overlies pillow basalt of the Regal Formation, yield ages of 3090-3060 Ma; and (iii) zircons in sandstones of the Forty-Four Hill Member show two age peaks at 3270 Ma and 3020 Ma. In this way, the Cleaverville Formation was deposited at 3114-3060 Ma and was deformed at 3070-3050 Ma (D 1 ). Depositional age of the Cleaverville Formation is at least 40-90 Myr older than that proposed in previous studies and pre-dates the Prinsep Orogeny (3070-3050 Ma). After 3020 Ma, D 2 resulted in the formation of a regional strike-slip pull-apart basin in the Cleaverville area. The lower-greenschist-facies volcano-sedimentary rocks are distributed only within this basin structure. This strike-slip deformation was synchronous with crustal-scale sinistral shear deformation (3000-2930 Ma) in the Pilbara region.

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Early Earth evolution: evidence from the 3.5–1.8 Ga geological history of the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Cited by 97 publications

References 75 publications

Generation of Earth's Early Continents From a Relatively Cool Archean Mantle

Generation of Earth's Early Continents From a Relatively Cool Archean Mantle

U–Pb zircon geochronology of the North Pole Dome adamellite in the eastern Pilbara Craton

Timing and development of sedimentation of the Cleaverville Formation and a post‐accretion pull‐apart system in the Cleaverville area, coastal Pilbara Terrane, Pilbara, Western Australia

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