地质历史中板块构造启动时间

地质历史中板块构造是何时开始启动的长期存在着激烈的争论,最极端的一是认为板块构造在新元古代的800 Ma前开始,二是在冥古宙4.3 Ga就已启动,多数学者认为在太古宙末开始启动。确定板块构造启动时间主要依据以下几方面:(1)地球动力学特点,如地幔的热状态以及粘塑性地幔对流模拟表明,板块构造可能是在地球热和冷停滞状态之间演化的一个相。在太古宙较热的地球中,板片强度低,板片的频繁断离阻止了形成类似现代样式的长期俯冲体系,太古宙的板块构造是短期的、阵发性的;(2)代表俯冲的标志的蛇绿岩、蓝片岩和超高压(UHP)变质地体;(3)具有弧特征的岩石组合,如拉斑玄武岩-安山岩-英安岩-流纹岩及英云闪长岩-奥长花岗岩-花岗闪长岩(TTG)岩套;(4)增生楔中混杂岩和大洋板块地层、前陆盆地、大陆裂谷、双变质带、造山带;(5)与俯冲带关系密切的造山型Au矿、斑岩Cu矿和浅成热液矿床、火山岩型块状硫化物矿床(VHMS),它们最早出现的年龄一致在3.5~3.1 Ga,指示了板块构造的开始;(6)世界不同地区大陆的Ni/Co、Cr/Zn比值随沉积年龄变年轻而降低,陆壳从3.0 Ga前的镁铁质转变为2.5 Ga时的长英质,表明全球板块构造的启动应在3.0 Ga的古中太古代;(7)冥古宙锆石、太古宙金刚石中矿物包裹体及Hf、O、C、N同位素组成研究表明,冥古宙地球表面存在类似板块汇聚边缘,太古宙含有大陆沉积物的海洋岩石圈俯冲进入地幔。     

地球早期大陆地壳的形成与演化

现代地球岩石圈主要由镁铁质上地幔和长英质地壳两个储集层组成,研究大陆地壳的形成和演化对揭示地球早期地质过程和物质循环、厘定板块构造启动时限具有重要意义。冥古宙—始太古代具有更高的地幔潜能温度和地温梯度,岩浆海冷却形成薄的原始地壳;大洋岩石圈表现为韧性,主要构造机制应为停滞盖层模式,有地幔柱参与。太古宙片麻岩中奥长花岗岩—英云闪长岩—花岗闪长岩（TTG）的出现标志着镁铁质原始地壳向长英质陆壳转变的开始。本文总结了地球早期停滞盖层模式到现代板块构造模式下含水玄武岩部分熔融、结晶分异形成大陆地壳的过程,主要包含幔源岩浆停滞盖层（“自下而上”的热管火山岩和“自上而下”的深成侵入岩构造模式）、增厚镁铁质地壳部分熔融、俯冲洋壳、岛弧及洋底高原部分熔融模式;陆壳的破坏和消减主要受陨石撞击、分层沉降、重力不稳导致拆沉控制;板块构造的出现进一步促进了地球内部的热量扩散,俯冲作用加快了洋壳和陆壳之间的物质循环。最后,结合太古宙变质岩、古老克拉通岩石学特征和锆石Hf、O及全岩Nd、Sr、Ar、Ti同位素组成,讨论了陆壳的形成时间和演化过程： 3.0 Ga之前形成了现有陆壳体积的60%~70%,厚度约为20~40 km;3.0~2.5 Ga,地壳改造速率明显增加,陆壳生长和破坏速率达到动态平衡,表明全球性现代板块构造体制逐渐成为控制大陆形成、裂解和陆壳演化的主要因素。     

地球早期大陆地壳的形成与演化

现代地球岩石圈主要由镁铁质上地幔和长英质地壳两个储集层组成,研究大陆地壳的形成和演化对揭示地球早期地质过程和物质循环、厘定板块构造启动时限具有重要意义。冥古宙—始太古代具有更高的地幔潜能温度和地温梯度,岩浆海冷却形成薄的原始地壳;大洋岩石圈表现为韧性,主要构造机制应为停滞盖层模式,有地幔柱参与。太古宙片麻岩中奥长花岗岩—英云闪长岩—花岗闪长岩(TTG)的出现标志着镁铁质原始地壳向长英质陆壳转变的开始。本文总结了地球早期停滞盖层模式到现代板块构造模式下含水玄武岩部分熔融、结晶分异形成大陆地壳的过程,主要包含幔源岩浆停滞盖层(“自下而上”的热管火山岩和“自上而下”的深成侵入岩构造模式)、增厚镁铁质地壳部分熔融、俯冲洋壳、岛弧及洋底高原部分熔融模式;陆壳的破坏和消减主要受陨石撞击、分层沉降、重力不稳导致拆沉控制;板块构造的出现进一步促进了地球内部的热量扩散,俯冲作用加快了洋壳和陆壳之间的物质循环。最后,结合太古宙变质岩、古老克拉通岩石学特征和锆石Hf、O及全岩Nd、Sr、Ar、Ti同位素组成,讨论了陆壳的形成时间和演化过程：3.0 Ga之前形成了现有陆壳体积的60%～70%,厚度约为20～4...     

早期地球的热管构造:来自木卫一的启示

构造体制极大地制约着地球和其他太阳系类地天体（类地行星、岩石质卫星和小行星等）的地表散热、内部温度和物质演化。现有的少量地质记录表明，地球在板块构造启动之前就存在非常活跃的"前板块构造"运动并可能对其早期壳幔分异产生了重要的影响，在这些构造体制下，物质和能量循环的规模和速率可能是后续的板块运动无法比拟的。但受限于早期地质记录的稀缺以及研究手段不成熟等因素，对前板块构造运动的研究一直被学界所忽视，人们对其的认识主要局限于停滞盖层（stagnant-lid tectonics）等。长期以来的空间探测和地基观测表明，木星系统的木卫一存在大规模的火山活动，随之形成了极高的地表热流和地表更新速率以及活跃的造山作用。这些观测事实不同寻常，颠覆了人们对类地天体构造演化模式的一些固有认识，需要新的构造模式——"热管构造"（heat-pipe tectonics）予以解释，其涵义为：类似木卫一上的大规模火山作用可使类地天体的软流圈-岩石圈-地表之间发生快速的物质和能量循环，该循环以岩浆的形成-上升-喷发-冷却和沉降-折返为主要形式，可将天体内部的热散快速散发到外太空。上述过程涉及类地天体内、外部之间物质的大规模、快速迁移和相变，其导热原理与热管相同，因而被称为"热管构造"，其散热效率远高于现今大多数类地天体单纯依赖岩石圈进行内外热传导的停滞盖层构造，以及地球上以板块的形成和俯冲过程主导内部散热的板块构造体制。尽管早期地球与木卫一在内生热机制等方面存在显著差异，但二者的内部温度和内生热率较高，导致其岩浆作用总体均较为活跃，这些关键动力学特征的相似性暗示其构造体制可能类似。因此，研究木卫一的热管构造体制对揭示地球的前板块构造的性质和演化有重要的启示意义。本文综述了近40年来人类对木卫一的主要探测成果，论述了热管构造提出的必要性和依据，总结了该构造体制的特征和发生条件，讨论了早期地球发生热管构造的可能性。早期地球可能经历了热管构造阶段，期间地球通过大规模火山作用散发了内部热量、促进了壳幔分异，并在地球内生热作用减弱、热管构造不能继续维持时被板块构造等取代。由于热管构造的垂向物质循环较为强烈，不利于保留TTG等低密度的壳幔分异产物，我们依据TTG大规模形成的时间上限推测：地球发生热管构造时间可能限于冥古宙-始太古代时期（约38亿年以前）。由于前板块构造时期地球自身的地质记录十分有限，对其热管构造体制的性质和确切的形成条件等很大程度上需要从木卫一获得答案。     

前寒武纪地球动力学(Ⅶ):早期大陆地壳的形成与演化

冥古宙到太古宙大陆地壳主要由花岗质片麻岩区和绿岩带构造单元组成。大量的研究表明,以花岗质岩石出现为标志的大陆地壳最早的碎屑锆石记录为约4.4Ga,最早的英云闪长质-花岗闪长质片麻岩形成于约4.03Ga,最早的绿岩带层序形成于约3.8Ga。冥古宙到始—古太古代时期的花岗质片麻岩区主要由英云闪长质-奥长花岗质-花岗闪长质片麻岩组成(TTG片麻岩),中—新太古代,尤其是新太古代晚期TTG片麻岩仍然为花岗质片麻岩区的主要岩石组成,但是花岗质片麻岩的成分出现了明显的多样化趋势,最明显的标志就是出现了大量的花岗闪长岩-二长花岗岩-碱长花岗岩组合。绿岩带的组成较为复杂,早期科马提岩、拉斑玄武岩等铁镁质火山岩占主导地位,组合有BIF等沉积层序,尤其是科马提岩的出现标志着高温地幔岩浆作用占主导作用。而晚期绿岩带科马提岩占的比重已经明显较少,大量出现拉斑玄武质-钙碱性玄武质到英安质火山岩和副变质沉积层序,局部出现类玻安岩、埃达克岩的变质火山岩记录。地球动力学体制研究表明,冥古宙到古太古代以地幔柱构造体制占主导地位,从始太古代到古太古代(3.0Ga)地幔柱活动和地幔对流使岩石圈不断加厚。在地幔对流沉降部位,由于地幔对流的拖曳使其铁镁质地壳逆冲堆垛并不断增厚,其深部发生麻粒岩相-榴辉岩相变质、部分熔融形成初始的大陆地壳花岗质岩石,并孕育了早期高温状态的板块热俯冲。中太古代晚期和新太古代初期形成了以榴辉岩为标志的类现代板片俯冲的构造体制,新太古代末期尽管地幔柱构造体制在局部仍起重要作用,但是类现代板片俯冲构造体制已经成为这一时期主导的动力学体制。     

前寒武纪地球动力学(Ⅳ):前板块体制

前寒武纪地球动力学关注地球45.6~5.43亿年期间的沉积、岩浆、变质、变形、地幔和岩石圈的动力学机制,是永恒的地球科学前沿研究内容。现今研究积累表明:早前寒武纪构造还难以完全用板块构造理论给予说明,板块构造起源的时间虽然可能因地而异,但主流认识是27~21亿年期间,华北克拉通也是如此。板块构造出现之前的前板块构造体制也业已提出了多种认识:地幔柱理论、地幔翻转、重力构造、小板块构造等,其中重力构造被认为主要发生在冥古宙的地球层圈分异阶段,尤其是45.4~44.5亿年间地核形成和地幔的岩浆海阶段。迄今,对于地壳层次的卵形构造成因,也有8种模式之多:底辟构造、中下地壳流动构造、水平渠道流、多期褶皱叠加构造、变形分解构造、龟裂-拗沉俯冲构造、卵形构造的多层Top-down流变构造、岩基侵入-挠曲分解构造等,它们皆可出现在挤压、伸展、走滑构造背景下。无论是板块构造还是前板块构造阶段,全球构造过程似乎都是Top-down机制。     

关于发展洋板块地质学的思考

为揭示造山带物质组成和结构构造,发展洋板块地质学,阐明大陆形成演化过程和动力来源,应用板块构造理论和地质学方法,对造山带俯冲增生杂岩带、蛇绿岩带等大洋岩石圈板块地质建造、结构构造进行系统研究,寻找俯冲带岛弧前弧火成岩组合;研究洋板块初始俯冲过程中,从前弧玄武岩到玻安岩、高镁安山岩,再到弧拉斑玄武岩和钙碱性熔岩的岩浆作用分阶段递进演变历史,以揭示洋盆向大陆转化的原始弧性质和前弧火成岩组合及洋陆转换过程,为建立和发展洋板块地质学奠定科学基础.     

从全球对比探讨华北克拉通早期地质演化与板块构造过程

板块构造理论为 2 0世纪取得的重大科学成就。如何在新世纪发展板块构造、推动大陆动力学研究成为新的挑战。世界古大陆前寒武纪地质研究在花岗岩绿岩带、高级变质区 ,新太古代造山作用 ,早期大洋地质记录与古板块构造 ,以及超级大陆等方面取得新进展。在此全球构造背景下 ,华北早期地质演化的相关重大问题包括 :新太古代典型造山带地质演化、碰撞过程及其盆山耦合作用。围绕新太古代蛇绿岩的研究 ,特别是豆荚状铬铁矿及地幔岩 ,将提供早期大洋岩石圈性质、扩张运移过程的重要线索 ,并提出早期板块边界划分标志及其洋陆作用过程。华北中部造山带及蛇绿岩混杂带的洲际对比 ,对认识华北与最古老超级大陆聚合过程具有重要意义     

早太古代以来的板块运动,地壳增生及超大陆组合

几个太古代至元古代克拉通内可利用的古地磁资料揭示了早太古代以来的大陆板块运动,其最小平均速度可与现代板块相类比。这说明地球历史上很早就存在板块构造作用,并且,地壳岩石中年龄达3.9Ga的高级片麻岩组合的保存也需要有一个较厚的壳下岩石圈“根”存在于早期大陆之下,它在早太古时期把下地壳从较高的地幔热流中保护起来。上地幔不相容稀有元素在世界范围内的明显亏损表明,至少在38亿年以前就存在刚性的,并很可能是巨大的岩石圈板块,但目前的资料还不能识别这一巨型地壳的成分。早太古代片麻岩-绿岩-花岗岩地体中的构造型式主要是类似于现代碰撞带中所发现的那种早期水平构造,并且,上壳岩石组合与英云闪长岩-奥长花岗岩-花岗闪长岩(TTG)成分的正片麻岩呈构造互层,从而导致了地壳的明显增厚和麻粒岩的形成。许多TTG岩套可能是与俯冲作用有关的岩浆弧建造,某些太古代绿岩带已被认为是蛇绿岩。但仍缺少有关太古代真正洋壳的确切证据,许多TTG组合的同位素分馏系列揭示     

华北克拉通下地壳含水性与金矿成矿关系

华北克拉通,自古元古代(1.8Ga左右)东西陆块完全拼接之后(Zhao et al.,2002),一直到晚古生代,基本保持了稳定的特性。自晚古生代起,华北克拉通先后受到了北部古亚洲洋的俯冲,南部扬子板块的碰撞拼合,东部太平洋板块的俯冲(赵越等,2010),造成岩石圈大规模减薄(吴福元等,2008),激发强烈的壳幔相互作用,伴随有大规模构造变形和岩浆活动(朱日祥等,2011),在华北克拉通形成了小秦岭、胶东、燕辽、     

Stagnant lid tectonics:Perspectives from silicate planets,dwarf planets,large moons,and large asteroids

To better understand Earth's present tectonic style-plate tectonics—and how it may have evolved from single plate(stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies in the Solar System. Plate tectonics is a style of convection for an active planetoid where lid fragment(plate) motions reflect sinking of dense lithosphere in subduction zones, causing upwelling of asthenosphere at divergent plate boundaries and accompanied by focused upwellings, or mantle plumes;any other tectonic style is usefully called "stagnant lid" or "fragmented lid". In 2015 humanity completed a 50+ year effort to survey the 30 largest planets, asteroids, satellites, and inner Kuiper Belt objects,which we informally call "planetoids" and use especially images of these bodies to infer their tectonic activity. The four largest planetoids are enveloped in gas and ice(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)and are not considered. The other 26 planetoids range in mass over 5 orders of magnitude and in diameter over 2 orders of magnitude, from massive Earth down to tiny Proteus; these bodies also range widely in density, from 1000 to 5500 kg/m~3. A gap separates 8 silicate planetoids with ρ = 3000 kg/m~3 or greater from 20 icy planetoids(including the gaseous and icy giant planets) with ρ = 2200 kg/m~3 or less. We define the "Tectonic Activity Index"(TAI), scoring each body from 0 to 3 based on evidence for recent volcanism, deformation, and resurfacing(inferred from impact crater density). Nine planetoids with TAI = 2 or greater are interpreted to be tectonically and convectively active whereas 17 with TAI 2 are inferred to be tectonically dead. We further infer that active planetoids have lithospheres or icy shells overlying asthenosphere or water/weak ice. TAI of silicate(rocky) planetoids positively correlates with their inferred Rayleigh number. We conclude that some type of stagnant lid tectonics is the dominant mode of heat loss and that plate tectonics is unusual. To make progress understanding Earth's tectonic history and the tectonic style of active exoplanets, we need to better understand the range and controls of active stagnant lid tectonics.     

Initiation of plate tectonics in the Hadean: Eclogitization triggered by the ABEL Bombardment

When plate tectonics began on the Earth has been long debated and here we argue this topic based on the records of Earth-Moon geology and asteroid belt to conclude that the onset of plate tectonics was during the middle Hadean(4.37-4.20 Ga). The trigger of the initiation of plate tectonics is the ABEL Bombardment, which delivered oceanic and atmospheric components on a completely dry reductive Earth, originally comprised of enstatite chondrite-like materials. Through the accretion of volatiles, shock metamorphism processed with vaporization of both CI chondrite and supracrustal rocks at the bombarded location, and significant recrystallization went through under wet conditions, caused considerable eclogitization in the primordial continents composed of felsic upper crust of 21 km thick anorthosite, and 50 km or even thicker KREEP lower crust. Eclogitization must have yielded a powerful slab-pull force to initiate plate tectonics in the middle Hadean. Another important factor is the size of the bombardment. By creating Pacific Ocean class crater by 1000 km across impactor, rigid plate operating stagnant lid tectonics since the early Hadean was severely destroyed, and oceanic lithosphere was generated to have bi-modal lithosphere on the Earth to enable the operation of plate tectonics.Considering the importance of the ABEL Bombardment event which initiated plate tectonics including the appearance of ocean and atmosphere, we propose that the Hadean Eon can be subdivided into three periods:(1) early Hadean(4.57-4.37 Ga),(2) middle Hadean(4.37-4.20 Ga), and(3) late Hadean(4.20-4.00 Ga).     

Tectonic activity of the early Earth (4.56-3.4(2.7?) Ga)

The paper discusses a possible model of the ancient (Hadean-Archean) Earth’s geodynamic evolution. We believe that the early Earth was characterized by a stagnant lid regime and whole-mantle convection suggesting cells that convect through the whole mantle (from the core-mantle boundary to the lithosphere base). The lid tectonics was perturbed by asteroid-meteorite bombardments that destroyed the primary terrestrial partly granitoid crust. The destroyed crust together with the residual enriched mantle reservoirs sank into the lower mantle. In addition to the crust destruction, the bombardments led to emplacement of a huge proportion of basalt-komatiitic melts, which can be interpreted as mantle overturn events. In the Hadean, the Earth survived frequent large-scale asteroid-meteorite bombardments, which resulted in almost a complete destruction of the primary terrestrial crust. In the Early Archean, the Earth still experienced the same tectonic processes, as in the Hadean; however, meteorite impact was small-scale and the bombardments influenced only a limited area of a common, as it seems to us, subequatorial supercontinent. Those bombardments led to the sagduction of the Archean basalt-komatiiic terrestrial crust, which sank into the mantle, transforming into amphibolite-eclogite rocks giving rise to a tonalite-troondhjemite-granodiorite suite. As preserved in the zircon record, the formation of the Archean mantle-derived magmas occurred as pulses at 4.5, 4.2-4.3, 3.8-3.9, and 3.3-3.4 Ga. These peaks, most likely, correspond to the Hadean-Archean meteorite bombardments. There is evidence of formation of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the cratons between 3.3 and 3.5 Ga. This SCLM was markedly different from peridotites of modern ophiolites. However, the existence of ophiolitic peridotites indicates that modern style plate tectonic processes were in operation at that time, as we will discuss below. The transition from the early Earth (Hadean-Archean) tectonic style to the recent tectonics occurred between 3.4 (2.7?) and 2.0 Ga.     

Formation and evolution of the Archean continental crust of China: A review

The mainland of China is composed of the North China Craton, the South China Craton, the Tarim Craton and other young orogenic belts. Amongst the three cratons, the North China Craton has been studied most and noted for its widely-distributed Archean basement rocks. In this paper, we assess and compare the geology, rock types, formation age and geochemical composition features of the Archean basements of the three cratons. They have some common characteristics, including the fact that the crustal rocks prior to the Paleoarchean and the supracrustal rocks of the Neoarchean were preserved, and Tonalite-Trondhjemtite-Granodiorite (TTG) magmatism and tectono-magmatism occurred at about 2.7 Ga and about 2.5 Ga respectively. The Tarim Craton and the North China Craton show more similarities in their early Precambrian crustal evolution. Significant findings on the Archean basement of the North China Craton are concluded to be: (1) the tectonic regime in the early stage (>3.1 Ga) is distinct from modern plate tectonics; (2) the continental crust accretion occurred mostly from the late Mesoarchean to the early Neoarchean period; (3) a huge linear tectonic belt already existed in the late Neoarchean period, suggesting the beginning of plate tectonics; and (4) the preliminary cratonization had already been completed by about 2.5 Ga. Hadean detrital zircons were found at a total of nine locations within China. Most of them show clear oscillatory zoning, sharing similar textures with magmatic zircons from intermediate-felsic magmatic rocks. This indicates that a fair quantity of continental material had already developed on Earth at that time.     

Do cratons preserve evidence of stagnant lid tectonics?

Evidence for episodic crustal growth extending back to the Hadean has recently prompted a number of numerically based geodynamic models that incorporate cyclic changes from stagnant lid to mobile lid tectonics. A large part of the geologic record is missing for the times at which several of these cycles are inferred to have taken place. The cratons, however, are likely to retain important clues relating to similar cycles developed in the Mesoarchean and Neoarchean. Widespread acceptance of a form of plate tectonics by ～3.2 Ga is not at odds with the sporadic occurrence of stagnant lid tectonics after this time. The concept of scale as applied to cratons, mantle plumes and Neoarchean volcanic arcs are likely to provide important constraints on future models of Earth's geodynamic evolution. The Superior Province will provide some of the most concrete evidence in this regard given that its constituent blocks may have been locked into a stagnant lid relatively soon after their formation and then assembled in the next global plate tectonic interval. Perceived complexities associated with inferred mantle plume — volcanic arc associations in the Superior Province and other cratons may be related to an over estimation of plume size. A possible stagnant lid episode between ～2.9 Ga and ～2.8 Ga is identified by previously unexplained lapses in volcanism on cratons, including the Kaapvaal, Yilgarn and Superior Province cratons. If real, then mantle dynamics associated with this episode likely eliminated any contemporaneous mantle plume incubation sites, which has important implications for widespread plumes developed at ～2.7 Ga and favours a shallow mantle source in the transition zone. The Superior Province provides a uniquely preserved local proxy for this global event and could serve as the basis for detailed numerical models in the future.     

The geological history and geodynamics of the Earth

The Earth formed through a hot accretion process. Almost simultaneously, the core and the mantle were separated from each other. At the final stages of the accretion process, the outer layer approximately 2000 km thick was molten, thus representing a magma ocean. This magma ocean produced the primary crust of the Earth. Surface waters were precipitated from the atmosphere and released from the crystallizing magma ocean. The plate tectonic processes started at around 4.3 to 4 Ga BP. In the Archean, the overall tectonic mechanism was quite specific, due to substantially higher mantle temperature and thicker oceanic crust. The normal plate tectonics acted during the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic with the periodic assembly of continents, which are known as supercontinent cycles.     

Is plate tectonics needed to evolve technological species on exoplanets?

As we continue searching for exoplanets,we wonder if life and technological species capable of communicating with us exists on any of them.As geoscientists,we can also wonder how important is the presence or absence of plate tectonics for the evolution of technological species.This essay considers this question,focusing on tectonically active rocky(silicate) planets,like Earth,Venus,and Mars.The development of technological species on Earth provides key insights for understanding evolution on exoplanets,including the likely role that plate tectonics may play.An Earth-sized silicate planet is likely to experience several tectonic styles over its lifetime,as it cools and its lithosphere thickens,strengthens,and becomes denser.These include magma ocean,various styles of stagnant lid,and perhaps plate tectonics.Abundant liquid water favors both life and plate tectonics.Ocean is required for early evolution of diverse single-celled organisms,then colonies of cells which specialized further to form guts,appendages,and sensory organisms up to the complexity of fish(central nervous system,appendages,eyes).Large expanses of dry land also begin in the ocean,today produced above subduction zones in juvenile arcs and by their coalescence to form continents,although it is not clear that plate tectonics was required to create continental crust on Earth.Dry land of continents is required for further evolution of technological species,where modification of appendages for grasping and manipulating,and improvement of eyes and central nervous system could be perfected.These bioassets allowed intelligent creatures to examine the night sky and wonder,the beginning of abstract thinking,including religion and science.Technology arises from the exigencies of daily living such as tool-making,agriculture,clothing,and weapons,but the pace of innovation accelerates once it is allied with science.Finally,the importance of plate tectonics for developing a technological species is examined via a thought experiment using two otherwise identical planets:one with plate tectonics and the other without.A planet with oceans,continents,and plate tectonics maximizes opportunities for speciation and natural selection,whereas a similar planet without plate tectonics provides fewer such opportunities.Plate tectonics exerts environmental pressures that drive evolution without being capable of extinguishing all life.Plate tectonic processes such as the redistribution of continents,growth of mountain ranges,formation of land bridges,and opening and closing of oceans provide a continuous but moderate environmental pressure that stimulates populations to adapt and evolve.Plate tectonics may not be needed in order for life to begin,but evolution of technological species is favored on planets with oceans,continents,plate tectonics,and intermittently clear night sky.     

The Orosirian (1800–2050 Ma) plate tectonic episode: Key for reconstructing the Proterozoic tectonic record

Eight lines of evidence indicate that the Orosirian Period in mid-Paleoproterozoic time was characterized by plate tectonics: ophiolites, low T/P metamorphism including eclogites, passive margin formation, tall mountains, paleomagnetic constraints, ore deposits, abundant S-type granites, and seismic images of paleo-subduction zones. This plate tectonic episode occurred about 1 billion years earlier than the present plate tectonic episode began in Neoproterozoic time. The two plate tectonic episodes bracket the ‘Boring Billion’, which may have been a protracted single lid tectonic episode that began when the supercontinent Nuna or Columbia formed. Recognition of multiple lines of evidence for Orosirian plate tectonics demonstrates that Earth’s tectonic style can be reconstructed with some confidence back to at least Early Paleoproterozoic time, and thus the absence of compelling evidence for Mesoproterozoic plate tectonics is not obvious due to poor preservation. A tectono-magmatic lull ～2.3 Ga suggests an earlier episode of single lid tectonics. Evidence for two episodes of plate tectonics and two episodes of single lid tectonics indicates that Earth switched between single lid and plate tectonics multiple times during the last 2.4 Ga.     

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.07.005

The Hadean history of Earth is shrouded in mystery and it is considered that the planet was born dry with no water or atmosphere. The Earth-Moon system had many features in common during the birth stage. Solidification of the dry magma ocean at 4.53 Ga generated primordial continents with komatiite. We speculate that the upper crust was composed of fractionated gabbros and the middle felsic crust by anorthosite at ca. 21 km depth boundary, underlain by meta-anorthosite (grossular + kyanite + quartz) down to 50–60 km in depth. The thickness of the mafic KREEP basalt in the lower crust, separating it from the underlying upper mantle is not well-constrained and might have been up to ca. 100–200 km depending on the degree of fractionation and gravitational stability versus surrounding mantle density. The primordial continents must have been composed of the final residue of dry magma ocean and enriched in several critical elements including Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, P, K, and Cl which were exposed on the surface of the dry Earth. Around 190 million years after the solidification of the magma ocean, “ABEL bombardment” delivered volatiles including H₂O, CO₂, N₂ as well as silicate components through the addition of icy asteroids. This event continued for 200 Myr with subordinate bombardments until 3.9 Ga, preparing the Earth for the prebiotic chemical evolution and as the cradle of first life. Due to vigorous convection arising from high mantle potential temperatures, the primordial continents disintegrated and were dragged down to the deep mantle, marking the onset of Hadean plate tectonics.