『Abstract
We here attempt a global scale mass balance of the continental
crust during the Phanerozoic and especially the Cenozoic (65 Ma).
Continental crust is mostly recycled back into the mantle as a
result of the subduction of sediment in trenches (1.65 km3/a),
by the subduction of eroded forearc basement (1.3 km3/a)
and by the delamination of lower crustal material from orogenic
plateaus (ca. 1.1 km3/a). Subduction of rifted crust
in continent-continent collision zones (0.4 km3/a),
and dissolved materials fixed into the oceanic crust (ca. 0.4
km3/a) are less important crustal sinks. At these rates
the entire continental crust could be reworked in around 1.8 Ga.
Nd isotope data indicate that ca. 80% of the subducted continental
crust is not recycled by melting at shallow levels back into arcs,
but is subducted to depth into the upper mantle. Continent-continent
collision zones do not generally form new crust, but rather cause
crustal loss by subduction and as a result of their physical erosion,
which exports crust from the orogen to ocean basins where it may
be subducted. Regional sedimentation rates suggest that most orogens
have their topography eliminated within 100-200 million years.
We estimate that during the Cenozoic the global rivers exported
an average of 1.8 km3/a to the oceans, approximately
balancing the subducted loss. Accretion of sediment to active
continental margins is a small contribution to crustal construction
(ca. 0.3 km3/a). Similarly, continental large igneous
provinces (flood basalts) represent construction of only around
0.12 km3/a, even after according for their intrusive
roots. If oceanic plateaus are accreted to continental margins
then they would average construction rates of 1.1 km3/a,
meaning that to keep constant crustal volumes, arc magmatism would
have to maintain production of around 3.8 km3/a (or
94 km3/Ma/km of trench). This slightly exceeds the
rates derived from sparse seismic experiments in oceanic arc systems.
Although the crust appears to be in a state of rough equilibrium
during the Phanerozoic, 200-300 million years cycles in sealevel
may be governed in part by periods of crustal growth and destruction.
During the Cenozoic the crustal volume may be running a long term
loss of <1.8 km3/a, meaning that are production rates
could be as low at 2.0 km3/a (50 km3/Ma/km),
if sealevel fall approaches 175 m since 65 Ma. Periods of orogeny
cause crustal thickening and enhanced loss via subduction and
delamination, effectively increasing the size of the ocean basins
and thus freeboard.
Keywords: subduction; delamination; erosion; recycling』
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Loss of crust during “steady state” subduction
3. Crustal losses and gains during arc-continent collision
4. The composition of the continental crust
5. Crustal losses during continent-continent collision
5.1. Subduction of continental crust
5.2. Erosional destruction of orogenic crust
5.3. Erosional destruction of cratonic crust during the Cenozoic
6. Lower crustal delamination
7. Large igneous provinces
7.1. Oceanic LIPs
7.2. Continental flood basalts
8. Arc magmatism
9. Discussion and conclusions
Acknowledgements
References
|
(km3/年) |
|
|
Continental Collision 大陸衝突 |
-0.4 |
2 |
Continental Dekamination 大陸葉裂(薄く裂けること) |
-1.1 |
3 |
Tectonic Erosion 構造的な浸食 |
-1.3 |
4 |
Sediment Subduction 堆積物沈み込み |
-1.65 |
5 |
Chemical Weathering Solute 化学風化(溶質) |
-0.4 |
6 |
Global Erosional Flux 世界的な浸食フラックス |
+1.8 |
7 |
Sediment Accretion 堆積物付加 |
+0.3 |
8 |
Arc Magmatism 弧火成作用 |
+3.8〜+2.0 |
9 |
Oceanic Plateaus 海台 |
+1.1 |
10 |
Continental LIPs 大陸LIP(巨大火成岩岩石区) |
+0.1 |