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Rapid emergence of subaerial landmasses and onset of a modern hydrologic cycle 2.5 billion years ago

Author

Listed:
  • I. N. Bindeman

    (University of Oregon)

  • D. O. Zakharov

    (University of Oregon)

  • J. Palandri

    (University of Oregon)

  • N. D. Greber

    (University of Geneva)

  • N. Dauphas

    (The University of Chicago)

  • G. J. Retallack

    (University of Oregon)

  • A. Hofmann

    (University of Johannesburg)

  • J. S. Lackey

    (Pomona College)

  • A. Bekker

    (University of Johannesburg
    University of California)

Abstract

The history of the growth of continental crust is uncertain, and several different models that involve a gradual, decelerating, or stepwise process have been proposed1–4. Even more uncertain is the timing and the secular trend of the emergence of most landmasses above the sea (subaerial landmasses), with estimates ranging from about one billion to three billion years ago5–7. The area of emerged crust influences global climate feedbacks and the supply of nutrients to the oceans 8 , and therefore connects Earth’s crustal evolution to surface environmental conditions9–11. Here we use the triple-oxygen-isotope composition of shales from all continents, spanning 3.7 billion years, to provide constraints on the emergence of continents over time. Our measurements show a stepwise total decrease of 0.08 per mille in the average triple-oxygen-isotope value of shales across the Archaean–Proterozoic boundary. We suggest that our data are best explained by a shift in the nature of water–rock interactions, from near-coastal in the Archaean era to predominantly continental in the Proterozoic, accompanied by a decrease in average surface temperatures. We propose that this shift may have coincided with the onset of a modern hydrological cycle owing to the rapid emergence of continental crust with near-modern average elevation and aerial extent roughly 2.5 billion years ago.

Suggested Citation

  • I. N. Bindeman & D. O. Zakharov & J. Palandri & N. D. Greber & N. Dauphas & G. J. Retallack & A. Hofmann & J. S. Lackey & A. Bekker, 2018. "Rapid emergence of subaerial landmasses and onset of a modern hydrologic cycle 2.5 billion years ago," Nature, Nature, vol. 557(7706), pages 545-548, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:557:y:2018:i:7706:d:10.1038_s41586-018-0131-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0131-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Bo Huang & Tim E. Johnson & Simon A. Wilde & Ali Polat & Dong Fu & Timothy Kusky, 2022. "Coexisting divergent and convergent plate boundary assemblages indicate plate tectonics in the Neoarchean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Jin Liu & Richard M. Palin & Ross N. Mitchell & Zhenghong Liu & Jian Zhang & Zhongshui Li & Changquan Cheng & Hongxiang Zhang, 2024. "Archaean multi-stage magmatic underplating drove formation of continental nuclei in the North China Craton," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Ilya N. Bindeman & Dmitri A. Ionov & Peter M. E. Tollan & Alexander V. Golovin, 2022. "Oxygen isotope (δ18O, Δ′17O) insights into continental mantle evolution since the Archean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. I. N. Bindeman & F. M. Deegan & V. R. Troll & T. Thordarson & Á. Höskuldsson & W. M. Moreland & E. U. Zorn & A. V. Shevchenko & T. R. Walter, 2022. "Diverse mantle components with invariant oxygen isotopes in the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption, Iceland," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Guoxiong Chen & Qiuming Cheng & Timothy W. Lyons & Jun Shen & Frits Agterberg & Ning Huang & Molei Zhao, 2022. "Reconstructing Earth’s atmospheric oxygenation history using machine learning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Bo Huang & Man Liu & Timothy M. Kusky & Tim E. Johnson & Simon A. Wilde & Dong Fu & Hao Deng & Qunye Qian, 2023. "Changes in orogenic style and surface environment recorded in Paleoproterozoic foreland successions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.

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