TY - JOUR

T1 - Crustal thickness controlled by plate tectonics

T2 - a review of crust-mantle interaction processes illustrated by European examples

AU - Artemieva, Irina M.

AU - Meissner, Rolf

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - The continental crust on Earth cannot be extracted directly from the mantle, and the primary crust extracteddirectly from an early magma ocean is not preserved on Earth. We review geophysical and geochemical aspectsof global crust–mantle material exchange processes and examine the processes which, on one side, form andtransform the continental crust and, on the other side, chemicallymodify themantle residue fromwhich the continentalcrust has been extracted. Major mechanisms that provide crust–mantle material exchange are oceanicand continental subduction, lithosphere delamination, and mafic magmatism. While both subduction and delaminationrecycle crustal material into the mantle, mafic magmatism transports mantle material upward andparticipates in growth of newoceanic and continental crusts and significant structural and chemicalmodificationof the latter. We discuss the role of basalt/gabbro–eclogite phase transition in crustal evolution and the linksbetween lithosphere recycling, mafic magmatism, and crustal underplating. We advocate that plate tectonicsprocesses, togetherwith basalt/gabbro–eclogite transition, limit crustal thickness worldwide by providing effectivemechanisms of crustal (lithosphere) recycling.The processes of crust–mantle interaction have created very dissimilar crustal styles in Europe, as seen by its seismicstructure, crustal thickness, and average seismic velocities in the basement. Our special focus is on processesresponsible for the formation of the thin crust of central and western Europe, which was largely formed duringthe Variscan (430–280 Ma) orogeny but has the present structure of an “extended” crust, similar to that of theBasin and Range province in western USA. Major geophysical characteristics of the Variscan lithosphere are discussedwithin the frame of possible sequences of crust–mantle material exchange mechanisms during and aftermain orogenic events in the European Variscides.

AB - The continental crust on Earth cannot be extracted directly from the mantle, and the primary crust extracteddirectly from an early magma ocean is not preserved on Earth. We review geophysical and geochemical aspectsof global crust–mantle material exchange processes and examine the processes which, on one side, form andtransform the continental crust and, on the other side, chemicallymodify themantle residue fromwhich the continentalcrust has been extracted. Major mechanisms that provide crust–mantle material exchange are oceanicand continental subduction, lithosphere delamination, and mafic magmatism. While both subduction and delaminationrecycle crustal material into the mantle, mafic magmatism transports mantle material upward andparticipates in growth of newoceanic and continental crusts and significant structural and chemicalmodificationof the latter. We discuss the role of basalt/gabbro–eclogite phase transition in crustal evolution and the linksbetween lithosphere recycling, mafic magmatism, and crustal underplating. We advocate that plate tectonicsprocesses, togetherwith basalt/gabbro–eclogite transition, limit crustal thickness worldwide by providing effectivemechanisms of crustal (lithosphere) recycling.The processes of crust–mantle interaction have created very dissimilar crustal styles in Europe, as seen by its seismicstructure, crustal thickness, and average seismic velocities in the basement. Our special focus is on processesresponsible for the formation of the thin crust of central and western Europe, which was largely formed duringthe Variscan (430–280 Ma) orogeny but has the present structure of an “extended” crust, similar to that of theBasin and Range province in western USA. Major geophysical characteristics of the Variscan lithosphere are discussedwithin the frame of possible sequences of crust–mantle material exchange mechanisms during and aftermain orogenic events in the European Variscides.

U2 - 10.1016/j.tecto.2011.12.037

DO - 10.1016/j.tecto.2011.12.037

M3 - Journal article

VL - 530-531

SP - 18

EP - 49

JO - Tectonophysics

JF - Tectonophysics

SN - 0040-1951

ER -