Records of geomagnetism, climate, and tectonics across a Paleoarchean erosion surface

Bradley, Kyle; Weiss, B. P.; Buick, Roger

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.03.008

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…This diverse substrate chemically resembled continental crust and was at least microcontinental in scale. Indeed, if the Vaalbara hypothesis of Kaapvaal-Pilbara cratonic aggregation (Button, 1979;Cheney, 1996) can be extended back to the Paleoarchean (Bradley et al, 2015), then the basement to the Lalla Rookh Sandstone was already truly continental, providing a comparatively cool, buoyant and stable terrestrial platform. The Lalla Rookh Sandstone itself has only been metamorphosed to sub-greenschist facies, as the immediately overlying terrestrial basalts and sediments of the ~2.77 Ga lower Fortescue Group are of prehnite-pumpellyite grade (Smith et al, 1982) and the Lalla Rookh mudrocks themselves are composed of illite and chlorite (Buick et al, 1998).…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental control on microbial diversification and methane production in the Mesoarchean

Stüeken

Buick

2018

Precambrian Research

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Multiple lines of evidence have revealed a thriving marine biosphere capable of diverse metabolic strategies back to at least 3.5 billion years ago (Ga). However, little is known about microbial ecosystems in lakes and rivers during the Mesoarchean and their role in the evolution of the biosphere. Here we report new carbon and nitrogen isotopic data from the fluvio-lacustrine Lalla Rookh Sandstone in Western Australia (~3.0 Ga)-one of the oldest known non-marine sedimentary deposits. Organic δ 13 C values (-30‰ to-38‰) are best interpreted as recording carbon fixation by methanogens using the acetyl CoA pathway mixed with organisms using the Calvin cycle, while δ 15 N data (0‰ to-1‰) likely reflect biological N 2 fixation using FeMonitrogenase. When compared with data from the literature, we show that lacustrine habitats of Mesoarchean age (3.2-2.8 Ga) are systematically depleted in δ 13 C (-37 ± 5‰) relative to marginal marine (-32 ± 7‰) and open marine settings (-27 ± 3‰), suggesting that methanogenesis was relatively more important in lacustrine communities. Our findings highlight: (a) the widespread use of biological N 2 fixation by the Mesoarchean biosphere, (b) the potential importance of continental habitats for methane production and perhaps for the formation of hydrocarbon haze, and (c) the possible role of land masses in driving microbial diversification on the early Earth.

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Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental control on microbial diversification and methane production in the Mesoarchean

Stüeken

Buick

2018

Precambrian Research

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“…Together with paleolatitudes from other poles previously reported from the East Pilbara, the new HEBh pole places new lower bounds on the horizontal drift rate of the East Pilbara between ~3.35 and 2.77 Ga relative to Earth's rotation axis, assuming a geocentric axial dipole field geometry at ~3.2 Ga. The youngest pre-HEBh pole from the East Pilbara is that of the 3350-to 3335-Ma Euro Basalt (EBm), which provides an estimated paleolatitude of 8.09° ± 5.3° (49). This paleolatitude is distinguishable from that of the HEB at 2 and requires that the average latitudinal velocity of the Pilbara exceeded 0.23° ± 0.10°/Ma or ≥2.50 ± 1.15 cm/year between 3.35 and 3.18 Ga (Fig.…”

Section: Tests For Archean Plate Motionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These rotations may originate from platetectonic motion of the East Pilbara Craton, true polar wander (TPW), or post-emplacement local block rotations, perhaps during ~2950-to 2930-Ma deformation in the Lalla Rookh-Western Shaw Structural Corridor (LWSC) that sinistrally sheared the majority of the SVS and ESGB (29,30). The region in which the EBm pole was measured (49) would not have rotated substantially during this episode (29,30). Local effects related to the impingement of the nearby Shaw, Yule, and Strelley batholiths apparently both produced the SVS and rotated its central portion CW (29,30), thus potentially accounting for some of the observed EBm-HEBh rotation.…”

Section: Tests For Archean Plate Motionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paleomagnetic evidence for modern-like plate motion velocities at 3.2 Ga

Brenner

Evans

et al. 2020

Sci. Adv.

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The mode and rates of tectonic processes and lithospheric growth during the Archean [4.0 to 2.5 billion years (Ga) ago] are subjects of considerable debate. Paleomagnetism may contribute to the discussion by quantifying past plate velocities. We report a paleomagnetic pole for the ~3180 million year (Ma) old Honeyeater Basalt of the East Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, supported by a positive fold test and micromagnetic imaging. Comparison of the 44°±15° Honeyeater Basalt paleolatitude with previously reported paleolatitudes requires that the average latitudinal drift rate of the East Pilbara was ≥2.5 cm/year during the ~170 Ma preceding 3180 Ma ago, a velocity comparable with those of modern plates. This result is the earliest unambiguous evidence yet uncovered for long-range lithospheric motion. Assuming this motion is due primarily to plate motion instead of true polar wander, the result is consistent with uniformitarian or episodic tectonic processes in place by 3.2 Ga ago.

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“…The East Pilbara Craton of Western Australia ( Fig. 1 A ) hosts the most complete pre-2.8 Ga paleomagnetic record ( SI Appendix , Appendix S2 ), with robust paleomagnetic poles at 3.47 Ga [“DFM” ( 5 )], 3.34 Ga [“EBm” ( 6 )], and 3.18 Ga [“HEBh” ( 4 )]. Due to the slow minimum drift rate and the possibility of true polar wander (TPW), it is uncertain whether mobile- or stagnant-lid processes drove a major latitudinal shift between poles EBm and HEBh ( 4 ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Plate motion and a dipolar geomagnetic field at 3.25 Ga

Brenner

Kylander‐Clark

et al. 2022

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The paleomagnetic record is an archive of Earth’s geophysical history, informing reconstructions of ancient plate motions and probing the core via the geodynamo. We report a robust 3.25-billion-year-old (Ga) paleomagnetic pole from the East Pilbara Craton, Western Australia. Together with previous results from the East Pilbara between 3.34 and 3.18 Ga, this pole enables the oldest reconstruction of time-resolved lithospheric motions, documenting 160 My of both latitudinal drift and rotation at rates of at least 0.55°/My. Motions of this style, rate, and duration are difficult to reconcile with true polar wander or stagnant-lid geodynamics, arguing strongly for mobile-lid geodynamics by 3.25 Ga. Additionally, this pole includes the oldest documented geomagnetic reversal, reflecting a stably dipolar, core-generated Archean dynamo.

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Records of geomagnetism, climate, and tectonics across a Paleoarchean erosion surface

Cited by 8 publications

References 62 publications

Environmental control on microbial diversification and methane production in the Mesoarchean

Environmental control on microbial diversification and methane production in the Mesoarchean

Paleomagnetic evidence for modern-like plate motion velocities at 3.2 Ga

Plate motion and a dipolar geomagnetic field at 3.25 Ga

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