Recycling of crustal materials and implications for lithospheric thinning: Evidence from Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the Hailar-Tamtsag Basin, NE China

Late Mesozoic Nb-rich basaltic andesites and high-Mg adakitic volcanic rocks from the Hailar-Tamtsag Basin,northeast China,provide important insights into the recycling processes of crustal materials and their role in late Mesozoic lithospheric thinning.The Late Jurassic Nb-rich basaltic andesites(154±4 Ma)are enriched in large-ion lithophile and light rare earth elements,slightly depleted in high-field-strength elements,and have high TiO_(2),P_(2)O_(5),and Nb contents,and(Nb/Th)PM and Nb/U ratios,which together with the relatively depleted Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions indicate a derivation from a mantle wedge metasomatized by hydrous melts from subducted oceanic crust.The Early Cretaceous high-Mg adakitic volcanic rocks(129-117 Ma)are characterized by low Y and heavy rare earth element contents,and high Sr contents and Sr/Y ratios,similar to those of rocks derived from partial melting of an eclogitic source.They also have high Rb/Sr,K_(2)O/Na_(2)O,and Mg#values,and high MgO,Cr,and Ni contents.These geochemical features suggest that the adakitic lavas were derived from partial melting of delaminated lower continental crust,followed by interaction of the resulting melts with mantle material during their ascent.Our data,along with available geological,paleomagnetic,and geophysical evidence,lead us to propose that recycling of Paleo-Pacific oceanic crustal materials into the upper mantle due to flat-slab subduction and rollback of the Paleo-Pacific Plate during the late Mesozoic likely provided the precondition for lithospheric thinning in northeast China,with consequent lithospheric delamination causing recycling of continental crustal materials and further lithospheric thinning.

Geochronology and Geochemistry of Late Triassic Intrusive Rocks in the Xiuyan Area,Liaodong Peninsula,Eastern North China Craton:Petrogenesis and Implications for Lithospheric Thinning

The timing and mechanisms of lithospheric thinning and destruction of the North China Craton(NCC)remain controversial,and the overall geodynamics of the process are poorly understood.This paper documents Late Triassic igneous rocks including monzogranite,gabbro,and diorite from the Xiuyan District on the Liaodong Peninsula in the eastern NCC,which have LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages of 229.0±0.4 Ma,216.2±0.9 Ma,and 210.6±2.0 Ma,respectively.Monzogranite shows high-SiO_(2) adakite affinity,negative ε_(Hf)(t)values(-20.6 to-17.9),and old T_(DM2) ages(3.53-3.29 Ga),suggesting that their parental magma was derived from thickened Paleoarchean mafic lower crust and minor mantle materials that were also involved their generation.Gabbro is ultrapotassic,strongly enriched in LREEs and LILEs,depleted in HFSEs,and has evolved zircon Hf isotopes with negative ε_(Hf) of -10.04 to-5.85 and old T_(DM2) ages(2.59-2.22 Ga).These are diagnostic signatures of a crustal component,but their high contents of Mg O,Cr,Co,Ni indicate that the primary magma originated from enriched mantle.Diorite is enriched in LILEs and LREEs,depleted in HFSEs(with negative Nb,Ta,and Ti anomalies),and contains negative ε_(Hf)(t)values(-13.64 to-11.01).Compared with the gabbro,the diorite is relatively enriched in Nb,Ta and HREEs,and also contains younger T_(DM2) ages(2.11-1.94 Ga),suggesting that the diorite was formed by mixing between ancient lower crust-derived felsic magmas and asthenospheric mantle-derived magmas.Field observations,geochronology,geochemistry,and zircon Lu-Hf isotopes indicate that Late Triassic magmatism and tectonic activity resulted from deep subduction of the Yangtze Craton beneath the NCC in the Xiuyan area.This phase of tectonic activity was completed in the eastern NCC by the Late Triassic(216 Ma),and was subsequently followed by lithospheric thinning that began in the Late Triassic.

Lithospheric thinning and ignition of a Cordilleran magmatic flare-up:Geochemical and O-Hf isotopic constraints from Cretaceous plutons in southern Korea

Northeast Asian continental margins contain the products of magma emplacement driven by prolonged subduction of the(paleo-)Pacific plate.As observed in many Cordilleran arcs,magmatic evolution in this area was punctuated by high-volume pulses amid background periods.The present study investigates the early evolution of the Cretaceous magmatic flare-up using new and published geochronological,geochemical,and O-Hf isotope data from plutonic rocks in the southern Korean Peninsula.After a long(~50 m.y.)magmatic hiatus and the development of the Honam Shear Zone through flat-slab subduction,the Cretaceous flare-up began with the intrusion of monzonites,granodiorites,and granites in the inboard Gyeonggi Massif and the intervening Okcheon Belt.Compared to Jurassic granitoids formed during the former flare-up,Albian(~111 Ma)monzonites found in the Eopyeong area of the Okcheon Belt have distinctly higher zirconε_(Hf)(t)(-7.5±1.3)andδ^(18)O(7.78‰±0.25‰)values and lower wholerock La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios.The voluminous coeval granodiorite and granite plutons in the Gyeonggi Massif are further reduced in Sr/Y and to a lesser extent,in La/Yb,and have higher zirconε_(Hf)(t)values(-13 to-19)than the Precambrian basement(ca.-30).These chemical and isotopic features indicate that Early Cretaceous lithospheric thinning,most likely resulting from delamination of tectonically and magmatically overthickened lithospheric keel that was metasomatized during prior subduction episodes,and consequent asthenospheric upwelling played vital roles in igniting the magmatic flare-up.The O-Hf isotopic ranges of synmagmatic zircons from the Albian plutons and their Paleoproterozoic and Jurassic inheritance attest to the involvement of lithospheric mantle and crustal basement in magma generation during this decratonization event.Arc magmatism then migrated trenchward and culminated in the Late Cretaceous,yielding widespread granitoid rocks emplaced at shallow crustal levels.The early Late Cretaceous(94-85 Ma)granites now prevalent in Seoraksan-Woraksan-Sokrisan National Parks are highly silicic and display flat chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns with deep Eu anomalies.Synmagmatic zircons in these granites mimic their host rock's chemistry.Delamination-related rejuvenation of crustal protoliths is indicated by zirconε_(Hf)(t)values of granites(-6 to-20)that are consistently higher than the Precambrian basement value.Concomitant core-to-rim variation in zircon O-Hf isotopic compositions reflects a typical sequence of crustal assimilation and fresh input into the magma chamber.

Formation time of the big mantle wedge beneath eastern China and a new lithospheric thinning mechanism of the North China craton—Geodynamic effects of deep recycled carbon

High-resolution P wave tomography shows that the subducting Pacific slab is stagnant in the mantle transition zone and forms a big mantle wedge beneath eastern China. The Mg isotopic investigation of large numbers of mantle-derived volcanic rocks from eastern China has revealed that carbonates carried by the subducted slab have been recycled into the upper mantle and formed carbonated peridotite overlying the mantle transition zone, which becomes the sources of various basalts. These basalts display light Mg isotopic compositions(δ26 Mg = –0.60‰ to –0.30‰) and relatively low87 Sr/86 Sr ratios(0.70314–0.70564) with ages ranging from 106 Ma to Quaternary, suggesting that their mantle source had been hybridized by recycled magnesite with minor dolomite and their initial melting occurred at 300-360 km in depth. Therefore, the carbonate metasomatism of their mantle source should have occurred at the depth larger than 360 km, which means that the subducted slab should be stagnant in the mantle transition zone forming the big mantle wedge before 106 Ma. This timing supports the rollback model of subducting slab to form the big mantle wedge. Based on high P-T experiment results, when carbonated silicate melts produced by partial melting of carbonated peridotite was raising and reached the bottom(180–120 km in depth) of cratonic lithosphere in North China, the carbonated silicate melts should have 25–18 wt% CO2 contents, with lower Si O2 and Al2 O3 contents, and higher Ca O/Al2 O3 values, similar to those of nephelinites and basanites, and have higher εNdvalues(2 to 6). The carbonatited silicate melts migrated upward and metasomatized the overlying lithospheric mantle, resulting in carbonated peridotite in the bottom of continental lithosphere beneath eastern China. As the craton lithospheric geotherm intersects the solidus of carbonated peridotite at 130 km in depth, the carbonated peridotite in the bottom of cratonic lithosphere should be partially melted, thus its physical characters are similar to the asthenosphere and it could be easily replaced by convective mantle. The newly formed carbonated silicate melts will migrate upward and metasomatize the overlying lithospheric mantle. Similarly, such metasomatism and partial melting processes repeat, and as a result the cratonic lithosphere in North China would be thinning and the carbonated silicate partial melts will be transformed to high-Si O2 alkali basalts with lower εNdvalues(to-2). As the lithospheric thinning goes on,initial melting depth of carbonated peridotite must decrease from 130 km to close 70 km, because the craton geotherm changed to approach oceanic lithosphere geotherm along with lithospheric thinning of the North China craton. Consequently, the interaction between carbonated silicate melt and cratonic lithosphere is a possible mechanism for lithosphere thinning of the North China craton during the late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Based on the age statistics of low δ26 Mg basalts in eastern China, the lithospheric thinning processes caused by carbonated metasomatism and partial melting in eastern China are limited in a timespan from 106 to25 Ma, but increased quickly after 25 Ma. Therefore, there are two peak times for the lithospheric thinning of the North China craton: the first peak in 135-115 Ma simultaneously with the cratonic destruction, and the second peak caused by interaction between carbonated silicate melt and lithosphere mainly after 25 Ma. The later decreased the lithospheric thickness to about70 km in the eastern part of North China craton.

Geothermal Evidence of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Lithospheric Thinning in the Liaohe Depression

The Liaohe （辽河） depression is an important part of the Bohai （渤海） Bay Basin, and the Bohai Bay Basin located in the center of Hthospheric destruction and thinning in the eastern North China Craton. The North China Hthospheric thinning activities have been verified from evidences of structural geology, petrology, geochemistry and geophysics, but there are still some controversies on their timing, mechanism and controlling factors. The sedimentary basin is a thin-bedded geologic unit with a limited distribution in the upper lithosphere, and its formation and evolution represent the shal- low response of the deep geodynamic process. Therefore, its thermal evolution is closely related to the deep dynamic conditions. In this article, the Mesozoic-Cenozoic thermal history of the Liaohe depres- sion is reconstructed using the vitrinite reflectance and apatite fission track data. Meanwhile ＂thermal＂ ilthospheric thicknesses in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic are calculated using the geothermic method on the basis of the above thermal history results. The results show that the Liaohe depression has undergone the Cretaceous and Paleogene heat flow peaks, 81 and 83 mW/m2, respectively, corres- ponding to two strong rift movements. Accor- dingly, the depression has experienced two dif- ferent levels of thinning processes in the Creta- ceous and the Paleogene since the Mesozoic, and the ＂thermal＂ lithospheric thicknesses were 60 and 50 Ion, respectively. This may reveal that the depression has experienced two large-scale de- structions. The work may provide valuable geo- thermal evidence for initial revealing the time, process and stage of the lithospheric thinning in the Liaohe depression.

Joint land-sea seismic survey and research on the deep structures of the Bohai Sea areas

This paper presents the survey and research work of two land-sea profiles in the Bohai Sea, China, carried out in 2010-2011, including the seismic sources on land and in the sea, the ocean bottom seismographs （OBS） and their recovery, the coupling of OBS and the environment noise in sea area, the data quality of OBSs, and the result of data analysis. We focused on the investigation of crustal structures revealed by the two NE／EW-trending joint land-sea profiles. In combination with the Pn-velocity distribution and gravity- magnetic inversion results in the North China Craton, we propose that the undulation of the Moho interface in the Bohai and surrounding areas is not strong, and the lithospheric thinning is mainly caused by the thinning of its mantle part. The research result indicates that obvious lateral variations of Moho depth and seismic velocity appear nearby all the large-scale faults in Bohai Sea, and there is evidence of underplating and reforming of the lower crust by mantle material in the Bohai area. However, geophysical evidence does not appear to support the ＂mantle plume＂ or ＂delamination＂ model for the North China Craton destruction. The crustal structure of the Bohai Sea revealed ＂a relatively normal crust and obviously thinned mantle lid＂, local velocity anomalies and instability phenomena in the crust. These features may represent a combined effect of North China-Yangtze collision at an early stage and the remote action of Pacific plate subduction at a late stage.

Ancient deep roots for Mesozoic world-class gold deposits in the north China craton:An integrated genetic perspective

The North China Craton(NCC)hosts some of the world-class gold deposits that formed more than 2 billion years after the major orogenic cycles and cratonization.The diverse models for the genesis of these deposits remain equivocal,and mostly focused on the craton margin examples,although synchronous deposits formed in the interior domains.Here we adopt an integrated geological and geophysical perspective to evaluate the possible factors that contributed to the formation of the major gold deposits in the NCC.In the Archean tectonic framework of the NCC,the locations of the major gold deposits fall within or adjacent to greenstone belts or the margins of micro-continents.In the Paleoproterozoic framework,they are markedly aligned along two major collisional sutures-the Trans North China Orogen and the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt.Since the Mesozoic intrusions hosting these deposits do not carry adequate signals for the source of gold,we explore the deep roots based on available geophysical data.We show that the gold deposits are preferentially distributed above zones of uplifted MOHO and shallow LAB corresponding to thinned crust and eroded sub-lithospheric mantle,and that the mineralization is located above regions of high heat flow representing mantle upwelling.The NCC was at the center of a multi-convergent regime during the Mesozoic which intensely churned the mantle and significantly en riched it.The geophysical data on Moho and LAB upwarp from the centre towards east of the craton is more consistent with paleo-Pacific slab subduction from the east exerting the dominant control on lithospheric thinning.Based on these results,and together with an evaluation of the geochemical and isotopic features of the Mesozoic magmatic intrusions hosting the gold mineralization,we propose a genetic model that invokes reworking of ancient Au archives preserved in the lower crust and metasomatised upper mantle and which were generated through multiple subduction,underplating and cumulation events associated with cratonization of the NCC as well as the subduction-collision of Yangtze Craton with the NCC.The heat and material input along zones of heterogeneously thinned lithosphere from a rising turbulent mantle triggered by Mesozoic convergent margins surrounding the craton aided in reworking the deep roots of the ancient Au reservoirs,leading to the major gold metallogeny along craton margins as well as in the interior of the NCC.

Jurassic Tectonic Revolution in China and New Interpretation of the “Yanshan Movement”

With acquisition and accumulation of new data of structural geological investigations and high-resolution isotopic dating data, we have greatly improved our understanding of the tectonic events occurring in eastern China during the period from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous and may give a new interpretation of the nature, timing and geodynamic settings of the “Yanshan Movement”. During the Mid-Late Jurassic （165±5 Ma）, great readjustment of plate amalgamation kinematics took place in East Asia and the tectonic regime underwent great transformation, thus initiating a new tectonic regime in which the North China Block was the center and different plates converged toward it from the north, east and southwest and forming the “East Asia convergent” tectonic system characterized by intracontinental subduction and orogeny. As a consequence, the crustal lithosphere of the East Asian continent thickened considerably during the Late Jurassic, followed immediately by Early Cretaceous substantial lithospheric thinning and craton destruction featured by drastic lithospheric extension and widespread volcano-magmatic activities, resulting in a major biotic turnover from the Yanliao biota to Jehol Biota. Such a tremendous tectonic event that took place in the continent of China and East Asia is the basic connotation of the “Yanshan Movement”. In the paper, according to the deformation patterns, geodynamic settings and deep processes, the “Yanshan Movement” is redefined as the Late Jurassic East Asian multi-directional plate convergent tectonic regime and its associated extensive intracontinental orogeny and great tectonic change that started at -165±5 Ma. The substantial lithospheric attenuation in East China is considered the post-effect of the Yanshanian intracontinental orogeny and deformation.

The Liaonan Metamorphic Core Complex: Constitution, Structure and Evolution

The Liaonan metamorphic core complex （mcc） has a three-layer structure and is constituted by five parts, i.e. a detachment fault zone, an allochthonous upper plate and an supradetachment basin above the fault zone, and highly metamorphosed rocks and intrusive rocks in the lower plate. The allochthonous upper plate is mainly of Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic rocks weakly deformed and metamorphosed in pre-Indosinan stage. Above these rocks is a small-scale supradetachment basin of Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks. The lower plate is dominated by Archean TTG gneisses with minor amount of supracrustal rocks. The Archean rocks are intruded by late Mesozoic synkinematic monzogranitic and granitic plutons. Different types of fault rocks, providing clues to the evolution of the detachment fault zone, are well-preserved in the fault zone, e.g. mylonitic gneiss, mylonites, brecciated mylonites, microbreccias and pseudotachylites. Lineations in lower plate granitic intrusions have consistent orientation that indicate uniform top-to-NW shearing along the main detachment fault zone. This also provides evidence for the synkinematic characteristics of the granitic plutons in the lower plate. Structural analysis of the different parts in the mcc and isotopic dating of plutonic rocks from the lower plate and mylonitic rocks from detachment fault zone suggest that exhumation of the mcc started with regional crustal extension due to crustal block rotation and tangential shearing. The extension triggered magma formation, upwelling and emplacement. This event ended with appearance of pseudotachylite and fault gauges formed at the uppermost crustal level. U-Pb dating of single zircon grains from granitic rocks in the lower plate gives an age of 130±2.5 Ma, and biotite grains from the main detachment fault zone have ^40Ar-^39Ar ages of 108-119 Ma. Several aspects may provide constraints for the exhumation of the Liaonan mcc. These include regional extensional setting, cover/basement contact, temporal and spatial coupling of extension and magmatism, basin development and evolution of fault tectonites along detachment fault zone. We propose that the exhumation of the Liaonan mcc resulted from regional extension and thinning of crust or lithosphere in eastern North China, and accompanied with synkinematic intrusion of granitic plutons, formation of detachment fault zone, uplifting and exhumation of lower-plate rocks, and appearance of supradetachment basin.

Rheological Simulating Study of Mechanical Conditions for Syn-extensional Basin and Mountain Coupling System

This article gives a mechanical model, in which the layers of lithosphere are assumed to be the creep materials, to study the coupling mechanism of a syn-basin-mountain system quantitatively by using the numerical simulating method. A geological dynamic extensional mode given by some geologists is theoretically discussed and verified. The study shows that lithosphere thickening or thinning is closely related to the thermal activity, or in other words, thermal convection beneath the lithosphere. It is one of the important factors affecting the formation of the basin-mountain coupling system. As an essential condition, only the upward buoyant force and the horizontal dragging force caused by the thermal convection jointly act on the bottom of the lithosphere, the stress and strain states in rock's layers are advantageous to forming the tectonic-landforms of the basin-mountain coupling system. A study on the creep features of the lithosphere shows that the stress and strain in the rock's layers vary with time when the lasting forces act on the boundary. They increase rapidly at initial stage and decrease steadily after reaching the peak value. Phenomena of stress relaxation are significant for studying the tectonic evolution.

Thinning and destruction of the cratonic lithosphere:A global perspective

It has been proposed that the North China Craton(NCC)was thinned up to a thickness of>100 km during the Phanerozoic,and underwent an associated craton destruction.Evidently,it is an important topic worthy of future study to understanding the mechanism of cratonic destruction and its role played in the continental evolution.After synthesized the global cratons of India,Brazil,South Africa,Siberia,East Europe(Baltic)and North America,we found that lithospheric thinning is common in the cratonic evolution,but it is not always associated with craton destruction.Most cratons was thinned by thermal erosion of mantle plume or mantle upwelling,which,however,may not cause craton destruction.Based on the studies of the North American and North China Cratons,we suggest that oceanic subduction plays an important role in caton destruction.Fluids or melts released by dehydration of the subducted slabs metasomatize the mantle wedge above and trigger extensive partial melting.More importantly,the metasomatized mantle lost its original rigidity and make craton easier to be deformed and then to be destoyed.Therefore,we suggest that the widespread crust-derived granite and large-scale ductile deformation within the continental crust can be regarded as the petrological and structural indicators of craton destruction,respectively.

Dynamics of thinning and destruction of the continental cratonic lithosphere: Numerical modeling

Thinning of the cratonic lithosphere is common in nature, but its destruction is not. In either case, the mechanisms for both thinning and destruction are still widely under debate. In this study, we have made a review on the processes and mechanisms of thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere according to previous studies of geological/geophysical observations and numerical simulations, with specific application to the North China Craton(NCC). Two main models are suggested for the thinning and destruction of the NCC, both of which are related to subduction of the oceanic lithosphere. One is the "bottom-up" model, in which the deeply subducting slab perturbs and induces upwelling from the hydrous mantle transition zone(MTZ). The upwelling produces mantle convection and erodes the bottom of the overriding lithosphere by the fluid-meltperidotite reaction. Mineral compositions and rheological properties of the overriding lithospheric mantle are changed, allowing downward dripping of lithospheric components into the asthenosphere. Consequently, lithospheric thinning or even destruction occurs. The other is the "top-down" model, characterized by the flat subduction of oceanic slab beneath the overriding cratonic lithosphere. Dehydration reactions from the subducting slab would significantly hydrate the lithospheric mantle and decrease its rheological strength. Then the subduction angle may be changed from shallow to steep, inducing lateral upwelling of the asthenosphere. This upwelling would heat and weaken the overriding lithospheric mantle, which led to the weakened lithospheric mantle dripping into the asthenosphere. These two models have some similarities, in that both take the subducting oceanic slab and relevant fluid migration as the major driving mechanism for thinning or destruction of the overriding cratonic lithosphere. The key difference between the two models is the effective depth of the subducting oceanic slab. One is stagnation and flattening in the MTZ, whereas the other is flat subduction at the bottom of the cratonic lithosphere. In the NCC, the eastern lithosphere was likely affected by subduction of the Izanagi slab during the Mesozoic, which would have perturbed the asthenosphere and the MTZ, and induced fluid migration beneath the NCC lithosphere. The upwelling fluid may largely have controlled the reworking of the NCC lithosphere. In order to discuss and analyze these two models further, it is crucial to understand the role of fluids in the subduction zone and the MTZ. Here, we systematically discuss phase transformations of hydrous minerals and the transport processes of water in the subduction system. Furthermore, we analyze possible modes of fluid activity and the problems to explore the applied feasibility of each model. In order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms for thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere, we also consider four additional possible dynamic models: extension-induced lithospheric thinning, compression-induced lithospheric thickening and delamination, large-scale mantle convection and thermal erosion, and mantle plume erosion. Compared to the subduction-related models presented here, these four models are primarily controlled by the relatively simple and single process and mechanism(extension, compression, convection, and mantle plume, respectively), which could be the secondary driving mechanisms for the thinning and destruction of lithosphere.

Mesozoic mafic magmatism in North China:Implications for thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere

The North China Craton(NCC) has been thinned from >200 km to <100 km in its eastern part. The ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle(SCLM) has been replaced by the juvenile SCLM in the Meoszoic. During this period, the NCC was destructed as indicated by extensive magmatism in the Early Cretaceous. While there is a consensus on the thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere in North China, it has been hotly debated about the mechanism of cartonic destruction.This study attempts to provide a resolution to current debates in the view of Mesozoic mafic magmatism in North China. We made a compilation of geochemical data available for Mesozoic mafic igneous rocks in the NCC. The results indicate that these mafic igneous rocks can be categorized into two series,manifesting a dramatic change in the nature of mantle sources at ~121 Ma. Mafic igneous rocks emplaced at this age start to show both oceanic island basalts(OIB)-like trace element distribution patterns and depleted to weakly enriched Sr-Nd isotope compositions. In contrast,mafic igneous rocks emplaced before and after this age exhibit both island arc basalts(IAB)-like trace element distribution patterrs and enriched Sr-Nd isotope compositions.This difference indicates a geochemical mutation in the SCLM of North China at^121 Ma. Although mafic magmatism also took place in the Late Triassic, it was related to exhumation of the deeply subducted South China continental crust because the subduction of Paleo-Pacific slab was not operated at that time. Paleo-Pacific slab started to subduct beneath the eastern margin of Eruasian continent since the Jurrasic. The subducting slab and its overlying SCLM wedge were coupled in the Jurassic, and slab dehydration resulted in hydration and weakening of the cratonic mantle. The mantle sources of ancient IAB-like mafic igneous rocks are a kind of ultramafic metasomatites that were generated by reaction of the cratonic mantle wedge peridotite notonly with aqueous solutions derived from dehydration of the subducting Paleo-Pacific oceanic crust in the Jurassic but also with hydrous melts derived from partial melting of the subducting South China continental crust in the Triassic. On the other hand, the mantle sources of juvenile OIB-like mafic igneous rocks are also a kind of ultramafic metasomatites that were generated by reaction of the asthenospheric mantle underneath the North China lithosphere with hydrous felsic melts derived from partial melting of the subducting Paleo-Pacific oceanic crust. The subducting Paleo-Pacific slab became rollback at^144 Ma. Afterwards the SCLM base was heated by laterally filled asthenospheric mantle, leading to thinning of the hydrated and weakened cratonic mantle. There was extensive bimodal magmatism at 130 to 120 Ma, marking intensive destruction of the cratonic lithosphere. Not only the ultramafic metasomatites in the lower part of the cratonic mantle wedge underwent partial melting to produce mafic igneous rocks showing negative ε_(Nd)(t) values, depletion in Nb and Ta but enrichment in Pb, but also the lower continent crust overlying the cratonic mantle wedge was heated for extensive felsic magmatism. At the same time, the rollback slab surface was heated by the laterally filled astheno spheric mantle, resulting in partial melting of the previously dehydrated rocks beyond rutile stability on the slab surface. This produce still hydrous felsic melts, which metasomatized the overlying astheno spheric mantle peridotite to generate the ultramafic metasomatites that show positive ε_(Nd)(t) values, no depletion or even enrichment in Nb and Ta but depletion in Pb. Partial melting of such metasomatites started at^121 Ma, giving rise to the mafic igneous rocks with juvenile OIB-like geochemical signatures. In this context, the age of ~121 Ma may terminate replacement of the ancient SCLM by the juvenile SCLM in North China. Paleo-Pacific slab was not subducted to the mantle transition zone in the Mesozoic as revealed by moder seismic tomography, and it was subducted at a low angle since the Jurassic, like the subduction of Nazca Plate beneath American continent. This flat subduction would not only chemically metasomatize the cratonic mantle but also physically erode the cratonic mantle. Therefore, the interaction between Paleo-Pacific slab and the cratonic mantle is the first-order geodynamic mechanism for the thinning and destruction of cratonic lithosphere in North China.

Thermal convection thinning of the North China Craton: Numerical simulation

We used twodimensional numerical simulations to investigate smallscale convection in the upper mantlelithosphere system with depth and temperaturedependent viscosity. Our aim was to examine the mechanism of craton thinning by thermal con vection. The model domain is 700 km deep and 700 km wide with a resolution of 71x71 nodes and 160000 markers. The ve locity boundary conditions are freeslip along all the boundaries. A thermal insulation condition was applied at the two side walls, with constant temperatures for the top and bottom boundaries. We assumed an initial temperature of 273 K at the upper boundary and 1673 K at the lower boundary, and 1573 K at the bottom of the lithosphere （200 km depth） for the thick, cold, and stable North China Craton （NCC）. We calculated the thermal evolution in the upper mantle when the temperature at its bottom is raised because of lower mantle convection or plumes. The temperature at the bottom of the upper mantle was set at 1773, 1873, 1973, and 2073 K for different models to study the temperature effect on the lithospheric thinning processes. Our endmember calculations show that with the bottom boundary raising the lithosphere can be thinned from a depth of 200 km to a depth of between 100 and 126.25 km. The thinning rates are at mm/y order of magnitude, and the thinning timescale is about 10 Ma.

Plate tectonics in the twenty-first century

Plate tectonics was originally established as a kinematic theory of global tectonics,in which the Earth’s rigid outer layer,the lithosphere,consists of different size plates that move relative to each other along divergent,convergent or transform boundaries overlying the ductile asthenosphere.It comprises three elements:rigid lithosphere plates,ductile asthenosphere,and coupled movement systems.It operates through the interlinked processes of continental drift,seafloor spreading and lithospheric subduction,resulting in the generation,modification and demise of lithospheres throughout geological time.The system of lithospheric plates in horizontal and vertical movements forms the spatiotemporal linkages of matter and energy between the surface and interior of Earth,advancing the kinematic theory with a dynamic explanation.While top-down tectonics through lithospheric subduction plays a key role in the operation of plate tectonics,it is balanced for the conservation of both mass and momentum on the spherical Earth by bottom-up tectonics through asthenospheric upwelling to yield seafloor spreading after continental breakup.The gravity-driven subduction of cool lithosphere proceeds through convergence between two plates on one side,and rollback of the subducting slab makes the vacancy for upwelling of the hotter asthenosphere to form active rifting in backarc sites.Plate convergence is coupled with plate divergence between two plates along mid-ocean ridges on the other side,inducing passive rifting for seafloor spreading as a remote effect.Thus,plate tectonics is recognizable in rock records produced by tectonic processes along divergent and convergent plate margins.Although the asthenospheric upwelling along fossil suture zones may result in continental breakup,seafloor spreading is only induced by gravitational pull of the subducting oceanic slab on the remote side.Therefore,the onset and operation of plate tectonics are associated with a series of plate divergent-convergent coupling systems,and they are critically dependent on whether both construction and destruction of plates would have achieved and maintained the conservation of both mass and momentum on the spherical Earth.Plate margins experience different types of deformation,metamorphism and magmatism during their divergence,convergence or strike-slip,leaving various geological records in the interior of continental plates.After plate convergence,the thickened lithosphere along fossil suture zones in intracontinental regions may be thinned by foundering.This causes the asthenospheric upwelling to reactivate the thinned lithosphere,resulting in superimposition and modification of the geological record at previous plate margins.The operation of plate tectonics,likely since the Eoarchean,has led to heat loss at plate margins and secular cooling of the mantle,resulting in the decrease of geothermal gradients and the increase of rheological strength at convergent plate margins.Modern plate tectonics is characterized by the predominance of rigid plate margins for cold subduction,and it has prevailed through the Phanerozoic.In contrast,ancient plate tectonics,that prevailed in the Archean and Proterozoic,is dominated by relatively ductile plate margins for collisional thickening at forearc depths and then warm subduction to subarc depths.In either period,the plate divergence after lithospheric breakup must be coupled with the plate convergence in both time and space,otherwise it is impossible for the operation of plate tectonics.In this context,the creation and maintenance of plate divergent-convergent coupling systems are responsible for the onset and operation of plate tectonics,respectively.Although a global network of mobile belts is common between major plates on modern Earth,it is difficult to find its geological record on early Earth if microplates would prevail at that time.In either case,it is important to identify different types of the geological record on Earth in order to discriminate between the different styles of plate tectonics in different periods of geological history.

A thinned lithosphere beneath coastal area of southeastern China as evidenced by seismic receiver functions

During Mesozoic to Cenozoic time, the large-scale tectono-magmatism had strongly modified the lithosphere beneath the southeastern continent of China, leaving the present-day lithosphere as a new one evolving from the ancient lithosphere that was largely removed and replaced. But this model proposed from geochemical and petrological research is urgently in need of support from seismic observational evidence. In this paper, based on the dataset recorded by the dense stations of two NE ori- ented broadband seismic profiles deployed in the coastal area of southeastern China （SE China）, both P-wave （P-RF） and S-wave （S-RF） receiver functions were isolated. We identified Pls phase converted from the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary （LAB） in P-RFs of individual stations. Migrated Pls phase indicated a depth of 60-70 km for LAB. Inver- sions/comparisons of P-RF （Pls phase） and S-RF （Sip phase） waveforms together with Ps and Sp imaging for the crust and up- per mantle structure further confirmed this result. P-RF and S-RF migrated images exhibit that a flat LAB is positioned at the depth of 60-70 km spreading along the profile, whereas a distinct structural change of lithospheric base appears at the Min River estuary. Both Ps and PpPs migrated images of P-RFs present an abrupt Moho drop across the Min River fault from south to north, which is consistent with previous result obtained from deep seismic sounding. By taking into consideration other ge- ological and geophysical features such as locally high anomalies of crustal Poisson＇s ratios and heat flow at the Min River es- tuary, we infer that the Min River fault penetrates down to the Moho and may, furthermore, interfere in the deeper lithospheric structure.

The effects of the thermal state of overriding continental plate on subduction dynamics: Two-dimensional thermal-mechanical modeling

The dynamic process of ocean-continent subduction depends on not only the properties of the subducting oceanic plate,but also the characteristics and state of the overriding continental plate.Numerical models conducted to date have mostly focused on the oceanic lithosphere in this regard;research on the properties of overriding continental lithosphere remains relatively limited,especially the influence of its thermal state on subduction dynamics.Here we explored the performance of continental lithosphere with different thermal states during the subduction process using two-dimensional thermal-mechanical modeling and systematically investigated the effects of the thermal state of overriding continental plate,the age of subducting oceanic plate,and relative convergence rate on subduction dynamics.Modeling results show that:(1)When the geothermal gradient of continental crust is low(between 10 and 15℃km^-1),the oceanic plate first subducts at a low angle.As subduction continues,the slab dip gradually increases and the slab begins to retreat rapidly driven by its negative buoyancy,opening an ocean basin ranging from 600 to 1100 km in width.This leads to the decoupling between the overriding continental plate and oceanic plate.As the trench retreat continues,the horizontal deviatoric stress inside the overriding continental crust alternates between being positive and negative in a local area.Thinning of the overriding lithosphere mainly occurs at the region adjacent to the subduction zone,where the surface experiences significant subsidence.(2)When the geothermal gradient of continental crust is higher(greater than 15℃km-1),oceanic plate retreat causes the overriding continental plate to be strongly stretched.In this case,the trench retreat distance decreases and the width of the ocean basin also reduces by between 100 and 1000 km.The horizontal deviatoric stress inside the whole overriding continental crust first manifests as compression and then changes into extension,which causes the surface to first uplift and then slowly subside.(3)Increasing the age of oceanic lithosphere accelerates trench retreat and promotes overriding plate thinning.(4)An advancing overriding continental plate slows down trench retreat.In cases where the geothermal gradient of continental crust is greater than 17.5℃km-1,the hot continental crust experiences gravitational collapse and is overthrusted onto oceanic lithosphere,resulting in slow trench retreat.We analyzed the subduction process of the western Paleo-Pacific Plate in the Early Cretaceous based on our modeling results and discussed its possible control on the tectonic evolution of the rift basins in east Asia.We suggest that the development of a wide rift basin system on the Amurian Superterrane in the Early Cretaceous was likely related to slow trench retreat and the collapse of the hot crust,and the formation of a series of passive rift basins in the North China Craton was likely caused by the relatively cold thermal state of the lithosphere and the rapid retreat of the Paleo-Pacific Plate.

Exotic origin of the Chinese continental shelf: new insights into the tectonic evolution of the western Pacific and eastern China since the Mesozoic

The effect of paleo-Pacific subduction on the geological evolution of the western Pacific and continental China is likely complex. Nevertheless, our analysis of the distribution of Mesozoic granitoids in the eastern continental China in space and time has led us to an interesting conclusion： The basement of the continental shelf beneath East and South China Seas may actually be of exotic origin geologically unrelated to the continental lithosphere of eastern China. By accepting the notion that the Jurassic- Cretaceous granitoids in the region are genetically associated with western Pacific subduction and the concept that subduction may cease to continue only if the trench is being jammed, then the termination of the granitoid magmatism throughout the vast region at -88±2 Ma manifests the likelihood of ＂sudden＂, or shortly beforehand （- 100 Ma）, trench jam of the Mesozoic western Pacific subduction. Trench jam happens if the incoming ＂plate＂ or portion of the plate contains a sizeable mass that is too buoyant to subduct. The best candidate for such a buoyant and unsubductable mass is either an oceanic plateau or a micro-continent. We hypothesize that the basement of the Chinese continental shelf represents such an exotic, buoyant and unsubductable mass, rather than seaward extension of the continental lithosphere of eastern China. The locus of the jammed trench （i.e., the suture） is predictably located on the shelf in the vicinity of, and parallel to, the arc-curved coastal line of the southeast continental China. It is not straightforward to locate the locus in the northern section of the East China Sea shelf because of the more recent （〈20 Ma） tectonic re-organization associated with the opening of the Sea of Japan. We predict that the trench jam at - 100 Ma led to the re-orientation of the Pacific plate motion in the course of NNW direction as inferred from the age-progressive Emperor Seamount Chain of Hawaiian hotspot origin （its oldest unsubdued Meiji and Detroit seamounts are -82 Ma）, making the boundary between the Pacific plate and the newly accreted plate of eastern Asia transform fault at the location east of the continental shelf of exotic origin. This explains the apparent-40 Myr magmatic gap from - 88 to - 50 Ma prior to present-day western Pacific subduction initiation. We propose that basement penetration drilling on well-chosen sites is needed to test the hypothesis in order to reveal the true nature of the Chinese continental shelf basement. This testing becomes critical and cannot longer be neglected in order to genuinely understand the tectonic evolution of the western Pacific and its effect on the geology of eastern China since the Mesozoic, including the cratonic lithosphere thinning, related magmatism/mineralization, and the mechanism of the subsequent South China Sea opening, while also offering novel perspectives on aspects of the plate tectonics theory. We also suggest the importance of future plate tectonic reconstruction of the western Pacific to consider the nature and histories of the Chinese continental shelf of exotic origin as well as the probable transform plate boundary from - 100 to -50 Ma. Effort is needed to reveal the true nature and origin of the - 88 ± 2 Ma granitic gneisses in Taiwan and the 110-88 Ma granitoids on the Hainan Island.

The Dayingzi detachment fault system in Liaodong Peninsula and its regional tectonic significance

Large scale lithosphere thinning is an important characteristic of the destruction of the North China Craton （NCC） during the late Mesozoic. A series of extensional structures were developed under extensional setting, among which is the Dayingzi detachment fault system （DFS）. The DFS is constituted by three parts, volcano-sedimentary basins at the hanging wall, the Dayingzi-Huanghuadian detachment fault zone, and Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rock series and Mesozoic plutons at the footwall. In the section across the detachment fault zone, there is a sequence of tectonites including fault gouge, microbreccia, cataclastic-mylonites, mylonites, and gneissic biotite monzonite granite. Microstructural characteristics of tectonites and electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD） patterns of quartz indicate that the rocks from the footwall experienced a process from upper greenschist facies to lower greenschist facies. SHRIMP and LA-ICP MS U-Pb dating of zircons from the volcanic rocks in the basins, the tectonic evolution of the DFS is summarized as follows： 1） regional extension started at 135.0±1.2 Ma ago, when the detachment fault cut through the middle crust. Faulting induced the upwelling of magma and eruption of volcanic rocks and deformed a series of medium-acid volcanic rocks; 2） after 135.0±1.2 Ma, a large scale detachment faulting was active cross-cutting the mid-upper crust. The western margin of Jurassic and Triassic granite was ductilly and brittly sheared; besides, the Cretaceous volcanoedimentary rocks were tilted when the master fault approached the surface; 3） at around 127±1 Ma, the detachment fault stopped its activity and was intruded by the unsheared Cretaceous granite near Chaoyang. Comparison with the Liaonan metamorphic core complex （MCC） and other extensional structures in Liaodong Peninsula led to a general trend of including three zones in the Peninsula： MCC zone, detachment fault systems （DFS） zone, and half graben zone. MCC commonly cuts through the mid-lower crust, DFS through the mid-upper crust, and half graben through the upper crust. Therefore, development of the extensional structures in Liaodong Peninsula indicates that they are the results of crustal extension and thinning at different crustal levels. They may provide a deep insight into the dynamic mechanism, history of destruction and lithosphere thinning of the North China Craton （NCC）. Liaodong Peninsula, detachment fault system, Cretaceous extension, lithosphere thinning, North China Craton