Elements: Archean Geodynamics Underneath Weak, Flat, and Flooded Continents

Although a significant volume of crust was extracted from the mantle early in Earth’s history, the contribution of felsic rocks to the sedimentary record was minimal until ~3.0 Ga. On a hotter Earth, this conundrum dissipates if we consider that the felsic crust was buried under thick basaltic covers, continents were flooded by a near-global … Read more…