Journal article
Rapid transition from continental breakup to igneous oceanic crust in the South China Sea
Nature geoscience, Vol.11(10), pp.782-789
10/2018
DOI: 10.1038/s41561-018-0198-1
Abstract
Continental breakup represents the successful process of rifting and thinning of the continental lithosphere, leading to plate rupture and initiation of oceanic crust formation. Magmatism during breakup seems to follow a path of either excessive, transient magmatism (magma-rich margins) or of igneous starvation (magma-poor margins). The latter type is characterized by extreme continental lithospheric extension and mantle exhumation prior to igneous oceanic crust formation. Discovery of magma-poor margins has raised fundamental questions about the onset of ocean-floor type magmatism, and has guided interpretation of seismic data across many rifted margins, including the highly extended northern South China Sea margin. Here we report International Ocean Discovery Program drilling data from the northern South China Sea margin, testing the magma-poor margin model outside the North Atlantic. Contrary to expectations, results show initiation of Mid-Ocean Ridge basalt type magmatism during breakup, with a narrow and rapid transition into igneous oceanic crust. Coring and seismic data suggest that fast lithospheric extension without mantle exhumation generated a margin structure between the two endmembers. Asthenospheric upwelling yielding Mid-Ocean Ridge basalt-type magmatism from normal-temperature mantle during final breakup is interpreted to reflect rapid rifting within thin pre-rift lithosphere.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Rapid transition from continental breakup to igneous oceanic crust in the South China Sea
- Creators
- H Larsen - Tongji UniversityG Mohn - Université de Cergy-PontoiseMichael Nirrengarten - Université de Cergy-PontoiseZ Sun - South China Sea Institute Of OceanologyJ Stock - California Institute of TechnologyX Huang - Chinese Academy of SciencesA KlausC Alvarez-ZarikianJ Boaga - University of PaduaS Bowden - University of AberdeenA Briais - Université de ToulouseY Chen - inconnuD Cukur - Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral ResourcesK Dadd - The University of SydneyW DingM Dorais - Brigham Young UniversityE Ferre - University of Louisiana at LafayetteF Ferreira - Universidade Federal FluminenseA Furusawa - Shimane UniversityA Gewecke - University of Nebraska–LincolnJ Hinojosa - California Institute of TechnologyT HöfigK HsiungB HuangE HuangS JiangH JinB JohnsonR KurzawskiC LeiL Li - Tongji UniversityY Li - Nanjing UniversityJ LinC LiuZ Liu - Tongji UniversityA Luna - University of South FloridaC Lupi - University of PaviaL NingthoujamA McCarthyN OsonoD PeateP PersaudN QiuC RobinsonS SatolliI SauermilchJ SchindlbeckS Skinner - Imperial College LondonS StraubX SuC SuL TianF van der ZwanS Wan - Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment [ChinaH Wu - Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of GeosciencesR Xiang - Hunan Research Academy of Environmental SciencesR Yadav - Paul Scherrer InstituteL Yi - Systèmes de Référence Temps EspaceP YuC Zhang - AIRJ Zhang - Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des ProcédésY Zhang - State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and PhotonicsN ZhaoG ZhongB Li - Nanjing Institute of Geology and PaleontologyL Zhong
- Contributors
- Michael Nirrengarten (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nature geoscience, Vol.11(10), pp.782-789
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41561-018-0198-1
- ISSN
- 1752-0894
- eISSN
- 1752-0908
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2018
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; Honors Program
- Record Identifier
- 9983983667802771
Metrics
66 Record Views