Alpine-style nappes thrust over ancient North China continental margin demonstrate large Archean horizontal plate motions

Yating Zhong; Timothy Kusky; Lu Wang; Ali Polat; Xuanyu Liu; Yaying Peng; Zhikang Luan; Chuanhai Wang; Junpeng Wang; Hao Deng

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-26474-7

Nature Communications (Oct 2021)

Alpine-style nappes thrust over ancient North China continental margin demonstrate large Archean horizontal plate motions

Yating Zhong,
Timothy Kusky,
Lu Wang,
Ali Polat,
Xuanyu Liu,
Yaying Peng,
Zhikang Luan,
Chuanhai Wang,
Junpeng Wang,
Hao Deng

Affiliations

Yating Zhong: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Timothy Kusky: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Lu Wang: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Ali Polat: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Xuanyu Liu: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Yaying Peng: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Zhikang Luan: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Chuanhai Wang: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Junpeng Wang: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences
Hao Deng: State Key Lab for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, and Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26474-7
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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How far back in time plate tectonics operated on Earth is debated because of a paucity of geological evidence for horizontal plate motions. Here the authors show that plates moved laterally by >3500 kilometres 2.7–2.5 billion years ago, demonstrating plate tectonics in the Archean Eon, when life developed on Earth.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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