A palaeoproterozoic tectono-magmatic lull as a potential trigger for the supercontinent cycle

ABSTRACT The geologic record exhibits periods of active and quiescent geologic processes, including magmatism, metamorphism and mineralization. This apparent episodicity has been ascribed

either to bias in the geologic record or fundamental changes in geodynamic processes. An appraisal of the global geologic record from about 2.3 to 2.2 billion years ago demonstrates a

Palaeoproterozoic tectono-magmatic lull. During this lull, global-scale continental magmatism (plume and arc magmatism) and orogenic activity decreased. There was also a lack of passive

margin sedimentation and relative plate motions were subdued. A global compilation of mafic igneous rocks demonstrates that this episode of magmatic quiescence was terminated about 2.2

billion years ago by a flare-up of juvenile magmatism. This post-lull magmatic flare-up is distinct from earlier such events, in that the material extracted from the mantle during the

flare-up yielded significant amounts of continental material that amalgamated to form Nuna — Earth’s first hemispheric supercontinent. We posit that the juvenile magmatic flare-up was caused

by the release of significant thermal energy that had accumulated over some time. This flux of mantle-derived energy could have provided a mechanism for dramatic growth of continental

crust, as well as the increase in relative plate motions required to complete the transition to modern plate tectonics and the supercontinent cycle. These events may also be linked to

Palaeoproterozoic atmospheric oxygenation and equilibration of the carbon cycle. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your

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subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS MAGMATIC FLARE-UP CAUSES CRUSTAL THICKENING AT THE TRANSITION FROM SUBDUCTION TO CONTINENTAL

COLLISION Article Open access 22 February 2021 EARTH'S ANOMALOUS MIDDLE-AGE MAGMATISM DRIVEN BY PLATE SLOWDOWN Article Open access 21 June 2022 BUSHVELD SUPERPLUME DROVE PROTEROZOIC

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Research Fellowship to C.J.S. and ARC Laureate Fellowship grant (FL150100133) to Z. X. Li. Thorough reviews from K. Condie and H. Rollinson greatly improved this manuscript. We thank P.

Cawood, A. Collins, H. McFarlane, P. Betts, W. Collins, A. Cavosie, S. Pisarevsky and Z. X. Li for helpful discussions. AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * Christopher J. Spencer, J. Brendan

Murphy, Yebo Liu & Ross N. Mitchell Present address: School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Earth

Dynamics Research Group, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Christopher J. Spencer, J. Brendan

Murphy, Yebo Liu & Ross N. Mitchell * Department of Earth Sciences, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada J. Brendan Murphy * Centre for Exploration Targeting —

Curtin Node, Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Christopher L. Kirkland Authors * Christopher J. Spencer View author publications You can

also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * J. Brendan Murphy View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Christopher L. Kirkland View

author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Yebo Liu View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Ross N.

Mitchell View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS C.J.S. initiated the compilation and synthesis of geochronological data. Y.L. and

R.N.M. compiled and analysed the palaeomagnetic data. All of the authors wrote the paper and designed the figures. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Christopher J. Spencer. ETHICS

DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to

jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Explanation of data source compilation and screening SUPPLEMENTARY

TABLE 1 Compilation of early Palaeoproterozoic orogens SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE 2 Compiled passive margins SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE 3 Compilation of magmatic rocks from 2,000 to 2,400 Myr ago

SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE 4 Available palaeomagnetic data and calculated plate velocity from 2,550 to 2,000 Myr ago SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE 5 Rates of apparent polar wander constrained by

palaeomagnetic data RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Spencer, C.J., Murphy, J.B., Kirkland, C.L. _et al._ A Palaeoproterozoic

tectono-magmatic lull as a potential trigger for the supercontinent cycle. _Nature Geosci_ 11, 97–101 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-017-0051-y Download citation * Received: 19 May

2017 * Accepted: 12 December 2017 * Published: 29 January 2018 * Issue Date: February 2018 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-017-0051-y SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following

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