Contemporaneous mobile- and stagnant-lid tectonics on the Hadean Earth.

ABSTRACT: The first billion years of Earth history witnessed the emergence of continental magmatism, oceans and life. Yet, the details of how continents formed remain unknown because of the absence of preserved rocks^1-8. Two conflicting Hadean models predominate: early onset of subduction and plate tectonics^2-4, compared with early stagnant-lid and plume processes with delayed (post-Hadean) plate tectonics^5-7. Here we report trace-element ratios (including Nb-Sc-U-Yb) correlated with age and hafnium and oxygen isotope ratios for Hadean detrital zircons from the Jack Hills (JH), Western Australia, which record unprecedented insights into the timing and setting of early magmatism. More than 70% of Hadean JH detrital zircons have Sc/Yb > 0.1, and 47% have U/Nb > 20, fin

SUBMITTER: Valley JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12916489 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature