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Generation of Archaean oxidizing and wet magmas from mafic crustal overthickening

Nature Geoscience volume 17, pages 809–813 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

The geodynamic setting leading to the formation of Earth’s first continents remains debated. Zircons preserved in Archaean granitoids record evidence of a relatively oxidizing and wet magmatic source. Subduction-related mechanisms for the formation of Archaean granitoids have been invoked to explain these signatures, suggesting an early initiation of subduction on Earth between 4.0 and 3.6 billion years ago, in the Eoarchaean era. Here I use forward petrological modelling and Monte Carlo randomization models to show that relatively oxidizing and wet magmas resembling Archaean granitoids worldwide can occur from melts derived from the partial melting of an overthickened mafic crust in a non-subduction scenario. The formation of oxidizing and wet magmatic signatures is therefore not diagnostic of continental crust generation by subduction or of subduction initiation in the Eoarchaean. Instead, the apparent observed increase in oxygen fugacity and water contents during the Eoarchaean may indicate magmatic thickening and melting of overthickened crust with time, suggesting that this process may have contributed to the development of Earth’s first continents.

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Fig. 1: \({\boldsymbol{P}} \textendash {\boldsymbol{X}}_{{\mathbf{H}}_{\mathbf{2}}{\mathbf{O}}}\) phase diagrams showing the effect of variably hydrated EAT compositions on the melts’ fO2 (∆FMQ) and H2O contents.
Fig. 2: \({\boldsymbol{P}} \textendash {\boldsymbol{X}}_{{\mathbf{Fe}}^{\mathbf{3+}}}\) phase diagrams showing the effect of different redox conditions on the melts’ fO2 (∆FMQ) and H2O contents.
Fig. 3: P–X phase diagrams showing the effect of compositionally different sources on the melts’ fO2 (∆FMQ) and H2O contents.
Fig. 4: Monte Carlo-derived melts compared with Archaean granitoid data.

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Data availability

All data are available via Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11506583 (ref. 39). In addition, all data necessary for evaluating the findings of this study are available in this article and its Supplementary Information. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

J. D. Hernández-Montenegro, R. M. Palin and R. M. Holder are thanked for the fruitful discussion on the topic. D. Tinkham is thanked for continuous help with Theriak-Domino.

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  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA

    David Hernández-Uribe

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Correspondence to David Hernández-Uribe.

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Nature Geoscience thanks Elizabeth Bell, Rongfeng Ge and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Alison Hunt, in collaboration with the Nature Geoscience team.

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Hernández-Uribe, D. Generation of Archaean oxidizing and wet magmas from mafic crustal overthickening. Nat. Geosci. 17, 809–813 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01489-z

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