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1,700-Myr greenstone volcanic successions in southwestern North America and isotopic evolution of Proterozoic mantle

Abstract

The formation of continental crust over the past 3,800 Myr has depleted the mantle of large-ion lithophile elements1. A knowledge of the timing of the depletion and the degree of chemical homogeneity of the depleted mantle over the history of the Earth is important to understand the development of the continents, their recycling back into the mantle2–6, and the nature of convection and mixing in the ancient mantle. This may be inferred by determining the initial 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf, and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of igneous rocks that were derived from the mantle at various times. Initial 143Nd/144Nd ratios of 1,700-Myr greenstones from the Rocky Mountains range from εNd = +3.3 to +6.5, the highest values yet observed for mid-Proterozoic rocks. These data constrain the change in εNd of depleted mantle to be only 2–3 ε units over the past 1,700 Myr which supports the hypothesis of significant recycling of continental crust into the mantle2,3.

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Nelson, B., DePaolo, D. 1,700-Myr greenstone volcanic successions in southwestern North America and isotopic evolution of Proterozoic mantle. Nature 312, 143–146 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/312143a0

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