IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-59024-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Growth of continental crust and lithosphere subduction in the Hadean revealed by geochemistry and geodynamics

Author

Listed:
  • Adrien Vezinet

    (ISTerre)

  • Aleksandr V. Chugunov

    (ISTerre)

  • Alexander V. Sobolev

    (ISTerre)

  • Charitra Jain

    (Geodynamic Modelling Section)

  • Stephan V. Sobolev

    (Geodynamic Modelling Section
    Institute of Geosciences)

  • Valentina G. Batanova

    (ISTerre)

  • Evgeny V. Asafov

    (Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Alina N. Koshlyakova

    (Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Nicholas T. Arndt

    (ISTerre)

  • Leonid V. Danyushevsky

    (Friendly Solutions)

  • John W. Valley

    (Univ. of Wisconsin)

Abstract

The rates of continental crust growth and recycling on early Earth remain unclear due to the lack of information resulting from the extensive alteration of ancient rocks. Melt inclusions trapped and shielded from alteration in Archean high-Mg olivine crystals offer a solution to this problem. We report an unprecedented unradiogenic Sr mantle source component (87Sr/86Sr = 0.69932 ± 0.00024, 95% confidence interval) of melts included in olivine from 3.27 Ga komatiitic lava flows in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa. This component indicates a model age of 4.31 ± 0.19 Ga and significant chemical fractionation (Nb/U = 36.9 ± 1.5, Ce/Pb=16.7 ± 1.1), suggesting up to 80% ± 16% of the present-day continental crust’s mass was extracted by the late Hadean from the whole mantle. Geodynamic models support this finding, explaining geochemical data by producing 40% to 70% of the present-day continental crust mass during the Hadean in a variable tectonic regime with tens of millions of years-long periods of massive impulsive subduction induced by mantle plumes.

Suggested Citation

  • Adrien Vezinet & Aleksandr V. Chugunov & Alexander V. Sobolev & Charitra Jain & Stephan V. Sobolev & Valentina G. Batanova & Evgeny V. Asafov & Alina N. Koshlyakova & Nicholas T. Arndt & Leonid V. Dan, 2025. "Growth of continental crust and lithosphere subduction in the Hadean revealed by geochemistry and geodynamics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59024-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59024-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59024-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-59024-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Emma L. Tomlinson & Balz S. Kamber, 2021. "Depth-dependent peridotite-melt interaction and the origin of variable silica in the cratonic mantle," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. A. B. Rozel & G. J. Golabek & C. Jain & P. J. Tackley & T. Gerya, 2017. "Continental crust formation on early Earth controlled by intrusive magmatism," Nature, Nature, vol. 545(7654), pages 332-335, May.
    3. T. V. Gerya & R. J. Stern & M. Baes & S. V. Sobolev & S. A. Whattam, 2015. "Plate tectonics on the Earth triggered by plume-induced subduction initiation," Nature, Nature, vol. 527(7577), pages 221-225, November.
    4. Alexander V. Sobolev & Evgeny V. Asafov & Andrey A. Gurenko & Nicholas T. Arndt & Valentina G. Batanova & Maxim V. Portnyagin & Dieter Garbe-Schönberg & Stepan P. Krasheninnikov, 2016. "Komatiites reveal a hydrous Archaean deep-mantle reservoir," Nature, Nature, vol. 531(7596), pages 628-632, March.
    5. Alexander V. Sobolev & Albrecht W. Hofmann & Klaus Peter Jochum & Dmitry V. Kuzmin & Brigitte Stoll, 2011. "A young source for the Hawaiian plume," Nature, Nature, vol. 476(7361), pages 434-437, August.
    6. Alexander V. Sobolev & Evgeny V. Asafov & Andrey A. Gurenko & Nicholas T. Arndt & Valentina G. Batanova & Maxim V. Portnyagin & Dieter Garbe-Schönberg & Allan H. Wilson & Gary R. Byerly, 2019. "Deep hydrous mantle reservoir provides evidence for crustal recycling before 3.3 billion years ago," Nature, Nature, vol. 571(7766), pages 555-559, July.
    7. Fabio Crameri & Grace E. Shephard & Philip J. Heron, 2020. "The misuse of colour in science communication," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Stephan V. Sobolev & Michael Brown, 2019. "Surface erosion events controlled the evolution of plate tectonics on Earth," Nature, Nature, vol. 570(7759), pages 52-57, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fangyi Zhang & Vincenzo Stagno & Lipeng Zhang & Chen Chen & Haiyang Liu & Congying Li & Weidong Sun, 2024. "The constant oxidation state of Earth’s mantle since the Hadean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Chuan-Mao Yang & Yi-Gang Xu & Xiao-Ping Xia & Jin-Hui Yang & Xiao-Long Huang & Christopher J. Spencer & Jin-Feng Sun & Qing Yang, 2024. "Light δD apatites reveal deep origin water in North China Craton intracontinental granites and basalts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Rulin Feng & Igor Ying Zhang & Xin Xu, 2025. "A cross-entropy corrected hybrid multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory for complex molecular systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Sarah Westarp & Felix Brandt & Lena Neumair & Christina Betz & Amin Dagane & Sebastian Kemper & Christoph R. Jacob & Peter Neubauer & Anke Kurreck & Felix Kaspar, 2024. "Nucleoside Phosphorylases make N7-xanthosine," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
    5. Li Zhang & Yongjin Chen & Ziqiang Yang & Lu Liu & Yanping Yang & Philip Dalladay-Simpson & Junyue Wang & Ho-kwang Mao, 2024. "Pressure stabilizes ferrous iron in bridgmanite under hydrous deep lower mantle conditions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Kuidi Zhang & Jie Liao & Taras Gerya, 2024. "Onset of double subduction controls plate motion reorganisation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Tiemo Pedergnana & Abel Faure-Beaulieu & Romain Fleury & Nicolas Noiray, 2024. "Loss-compensated non-reciprocal scattering based on synchronization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Guido Fioravanti & Michela Cameletti & Sara Martino & Giorgio Cattani & Enrico Pisoni, 2022. "A spatiotemporal analysis of NO2 concentrations during the Italian 2020 COVID‐19 lockdown," Environmetrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(4), June.
    9. Shubham Chandra & Chengcheng Wang & Shu Beng Tor & Upadrasta Ramamurty & Xipeng Tan, 2024. "Powder-size driven facile microstructure control in powder-fusion metal additive manufacturing processes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Magda Dubois & Tobias U. Hauser, 2022. "Value-free random exploration is linked to impulsivity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Xiaochuan Tian & Mark D. Behn & Garrett Ito & Jana C. Schierjott & Boris J. P. Kaus & Anton A. Popov, 2024. "Magmatism controls global oceanic transform fault topography," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    12. Junxing Chen & Hehe Jiang & Ming Tang & Jihua Hao & Meng Tian & Xu Chu, 2022. "Venus’ light slab hinders its development of planetary-scale subduction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    13. Bo Huang & Man Liu & Timothy M. Kusky & Tim E. Johnson & Simon A. Wilde & Dong Fu & Hao Deng & Qunye Qian, 2023. "Changes in orogenic style and surface environment recorded in Paleoproterozoic foreland successions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    14. Noémie Neverre, 2024. "An adaptable participatory modelling framework to anticipate needs for securing regional drinking water supply systems under global changes," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 38(6), pages 2209-2227, April.
    15. Vittorio Aita & Diane J. Roth & Anastasiia Zaleska & Alexey V. Krasavin & Luke H. Nicholls & Mykyta Shevchenko & Francisco J. Rodríguez-Fortuño & Anatoly V. Zayats, 2025. "Longitudinal field controls vector vortex beams in anisotropic epsilon-near-zero metamaterials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    16. Yaguang Chen & Hanlin Chen & Mingqi Liu & Taras Gerya, 2023. "Vertical tearing of subducting plates controlled by geometry and rheology of oceanic plates," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    17. Patryk Wlekly, 2024. "Aesthetics and Usability of Statistics Data Visualisation through Charts: An Eyetracking Study as a Tool for Chart Analysis," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special B), pages 848-868.
    18. Ramon Gao & Michael D. Kelzenberg & Harry A. Atwater, 2024. "Dynamically stable radiation pressure propulsion of flexible lightsails for interstellar exploration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Grace E. Shephard & Christine Houser & John W. Hernlund & Juan J. Valencia-Cardona & Reidar G. Trønnes & Renata M. Wentzcovitch, 2021. "Seismological expression of the iron spin crossover in ferropericlase in the Earth’s lower mantle," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    20. Alik Ismail-Zadeh & Anne Davaille & Jean Besse & Yuri Volozh, 2024. "East European sedimentary basins long heated by a fading mantle upwelling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59024-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.