Pub Date : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119888
Yang Zhang , Rui Li , Guang-Yan Zhou , David Chew , Jian-Ping Zheng , Qing Xiong , Wei Wang
Understanding the evolution of the First Bend of the Yangtze River is essential in deciphering the Cenozoic tectonic dynamics of the Tibetan Plateau and the associated intricate interplay between surface uplift, river erosion and sediment deposition. Nevertheless, the precise timing and mechanisms for its formation remain a subject of debate, primarily stemming from the ambiguous interpretation of sediment provenance studies that solely rely on detrital zircon U-Pb ages. Here, we employ zircon Raman spectroscopy data integrated with a new developed support vector machine model to assess whether detrital zircons from the Eocene Jianchuan Basin underwent thermal annealing after crystallization. Combined with zircon depth profiling U-Pb age data, we show that the sediments in the lower to middle sequences of the Jianchuan Basin were predominantly sourced from the Qiangtang terrane and the western Yangtze region, implying paleo-Yangtze (Jinsha) River once flowed southwards through this basin. In contrast, the overlying Jianchuan Formation mainly received recycled detritus from the underlying Paleozoic sedimentary strata. This shift in sediment supply to the Jianchuan Basin was caused by the uplift within and surrounding the basin induced by a change in stress regime from extension to compression, which resulted in the reorganization of the paleo-Yangtze river and ultimately the formation of the First Bend and the modern Yangtze River during the late Eocene.
{"title":"Zircon thermal annealing ages determine a late Eocene birth for the First Bend of the Yangtze River","authors":"Yang Zhang , Rui Li , Guang-Yan Zhou , David Chew , Jian-Ping Zheng , Qing Xiong , Wei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the evolution of the First Bend of the Yangtze River is essential in deciphering the Cenozoic tectonic dynamics of the Tibetan Plateau and the associated intricate interplay between surface uplift, river erosion and sediment deposition. Nevertheless, the precise timing and mechanisms for its formation remain a subject of debate, primarily stemming from the ambiguous interpretation of sediment provenance studies that solely rely on detrital zircon U-Pb ages. Here, we employ zircon Raman spectroscopy data integrated with a new developed support vector machine model to assess whether detrital zircons from the Eocene Jianchuan Basin underwent thermal annealing after crystallization. Combined with zircon depth profiling U-Pb age data, we show that the sediments in the lower to middle sequences of the Jianchuan Basin were predominantly sourced from the Qiangtang terrane and the western Yangtze region, implying paleo-Yangtze (Jinsha) River once flowed southwards through this basin. In contrast, the overlying Jianchuan Formation mainly received recycled detritus from the underlying Paleozoic sedimentary strata. This shift in sediment supply to the Jianchuan Basin was caused by the uplift within and surrounding the basin induced by a change in stress regime from extension to compression, which resulted in the reorganization of the paleo-Yangtze river and ultimately the formation of the First Bend and the modern Yangtze River during the late Eocene.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119888"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119885
Guy Libourel , Marc Portail , Vincent Guigoz , Virginie Brändli , Cyrille Collin , Nathalie Vigier , Tomoki Nakamura , Hikaru Yabuta , Shogo Tachibana , Cecile Engrand
Secondary mineral prevalence in Ryugu samples, similar to primitive carbonaceous-Ivuna type (CI) chondrites, suggests that aqueous alteration was a key factor in its formation. However, this general consensus masks our limited understanding of the specific mechanisms and environmental conditions involved in water-rock interactions on primitive asteroids. High-resolution cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis of the ubiquitous dolomite crystals in Ryugu samples reveals concentric epitaxial overgrowths with varying levels of Mn2+-activated luminescence. CL panchromatic images and spectral deconvolution provide compelling evidence for the evolution of aqueous fluids toward highly saturated brines. Given the close association of dolomite with widespread intergrowths of serpentine and saponite in the matrix, we propose that brine formation occurs as a byproduct of serpentinization. Unlike large-scale evaporation or freezing, this process can locally cause the hydrothermal fluid to dry out, significantly increasing its salinity over time. This leads to the sporadic precipitation of an evaporite mineral sequence, with dolomite forming at an early stage. This serpentinization-driven brine formation model offers a convincing alternative to a purely prograde alteration history for Ryugu. It may also provide a better explanation for the alteration processes of Bennu and other CI chondrite parent bodies.
{"title":"Low temperature brine formation by serpentinization on asteroid (162,173) Ryugu","authors":"Guy Libourel , Marc Portail , Vincent Guigoz , Virginie Brändli , Cyrille Collin , Nathalie Vigier , Tomoki Nakamura , Hikaru Yabuta , Shogo Tachibana , Cecile Engrand","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Secondary mineral prevalence in Ryugu samples, similar to primitive carbonaceous-Ivuna type (CI) chondrites, suggests that aqueous alteration was a key factor in its formation. However, this general consensus masks our limited understanding of the specific mechanisms and environmental conditions involved in water-rock interactions on primitive asteroids. High-resolution cathodoluminescence (CL) analysis of the ubiquitous dolomite crystals in Ryugu samples reveals concentric epitaxial overgrowths with varying levels of Mn<sup>2+</sup>-activated luminescence. CL panchromatic images and spectral deconvolution provide compelling evidence for the evolution of aqueous fluids toward highly saturated brines. Given the close association of dolomite with widespread intergrowths of serpentine and saponite in the matrix, we propose that brine formation occurs as a byproduct of serpentinization. Unlike large-scale evaporation or freezing, this process can locally cause the hydrothermal fluid to dry out, significantly increasing its salinity over time. This leads to the sporadic precipitation of an evaporite mineral sequence, with dolomite forming at an early stage. This serpentinization-driven brine formation model offers a convincing alternative to a purely prograde alteration history for Ryugu. It may also provide a better explanation for the alteration processes of Bennu and other CI chondrite parent bodies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119885"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119879
Yiming Bai , Shengji Wei , Jing Chen , Tianjue Li , Bingfeng Zhang , Xiao Xiao , Shucheng Wu , Jiayuan Yao , Yu Wang , Ping Tong
The highly oblique Indo-Burma convergence has produced complex tectonic deformation along the Myanmar margin, and the depth-resolved anisotropy offers a valuable means to elucidate the mechanisms that drive this deformation. Here, we build a 3-D anisotropic body-wave velocity model in the upper 80 km using the adjoint-state traveltime tomography applied to an AI-assisted local earthquake catalog. The new model reveals pronounced azimuthal anisotropy and velocity heterogeneities. In the overriding Burma plate crust, a complex anisotropic structure is observed: fast velocity directions (FVDs) normal to the trench beneath the inner Indo-Burma Ranges while broadly parallel to the tectonic block boundaries and fault strikes beneath the Central Myanmar Basin. These patterns reflect transpressive deformation under oblique convergence. In the uppermost mantle, the observed ENE-WSW FVDs west of the Wuntho-Popa Arc are attributed to the fossil fabric in the subducting Indian plate, and the NNW-SSE FVDs farther east are associated with supra-slab along-strike flow, possibly shaped by the slab geometry complexity. Additionally, the segment of the Sagaing Fault near 21°N is likely infiltrated by crustal fluids originating from the adjacent Mogok Metamorphic Belt, potentially linked to recent asthenospheric melt upwelling. Evidence for fluid presence includes a near-fault crustal anomaly with ∼8% velocity reduction, high Vp/Vs of >1.85 and FVDs parallel to the maximum horizontal compressive stress. Fluid infiltration likely promotes partial creep in this fault segment, and, together with variations in lithology and deformation state, may affect earthquake nucleation along this portion of the Sagaing Fault, including the 2025 Mw 7.8 Mandalay event.
{"title":"Structural heterogeneity and anisotropy beneath Myanmar: Insights into the complex deformation of the Indo-Burma subduction zone","authors":"Yiming Bai , Shengji Wei , Jing Chen , Tianjue Li , Bingfeng Zhang , Xiao Xiao , Shucheng Wu , Jiayuan Yao , Yu Wang , Ping Tong","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The highly oblique Indo-Burma convergence has produced complex tectonic deformation along the Myanmar margin, and the depth-resolved anisotropy offers a valuable means to elucidate the mechanisms that drive this deformation. Here, we build a 3-D anisotropic body-wave velocity model in the upper 80 km using the adjoint-state traveltime tomography applied to an AI-assisted local earthquake catalog. The new model reveals pronounced azimuthal anisotropy and velocity heterogeneities. In the overriding Burma plate crust, a complex anisotropic structure is observed: fast velocity directions (FVDs) normal to the trench beneath the inner Indo-Burma Ranges while broadly parallel to the tectonic block boundaries and fault strikes beneath the Central Myanmar Basin. These patterns reflect transpressive deformation under oblique convergence. In the uppermost mantle, the observed ENE-WSW FVDs west of the Wuntho-Popa Arc are attributed to the fossil fabric in the subducting Indian plate, and the NNW-SSE FVDs farther east are associated with supra-slab along-strike flow, possibly shaped by the slab geometry complexity. Additionally, the segment of the Sagaing Fault near 21°N is likely infiltrated by crustal fluids originating from the adjacent Mogok Metamorphic Belt, potentially linked to recent asthenospheric melt upwelling. Evidence for fluid presence includes a near-fault crustal anomaly with ∼8% velocity reduction, high <em>Vp</em>/<em>Vs</em> of >1.85 and FVDs parallel to the maximum horizontal compressive stress. Fluid infiltration likely promotes partial creep in this fault segment, and, together with variations in lithology and deformation state, may affect earthquake nucleation along this portion of the Sagaing Fault, including the 2025 Mw 7.8 Mandalay event.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119879"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119853
Yishuo Zhou , Ran Xu , Peng Dong , Kaiwen Xia
Seismic waves emitted by an earthquake can trigger other earthquakes over a variety of spatial and temporal scale, yet extended time delay and rupture behaviors associated with these events are not well understood. Here, we report on the experimental observation of earthquake rupture triggered by explosion-generated stress perturbations at different stress level, showing that the time delay of triggered events on gouge-filled fault is significantly higher than those on bare fault. Furthermore, we identify notable difference in rupture behaviors between the triggered events on gouge-filled and bare faults. For bare fault, the triggered events may be arrested or runaway, depending on the initial stress level at the onset of dynamic triggering. However, for gouge-filled fault, the rupture behaviors is more complex, manifested by scattered micro-ruptures, coalescent micro-ruptures, and runaway rupture. The extended time delay and complex rupture behaviors of triggered events on gouge-filled fault are attributed to the evolution of force chain within the fault gouge. Our results suggest that fault gouge plays an important role in earthquake dynamic triggering, which may provide new insights into the mechanism for extended time delay of dynamically triggered earthquakes on natural fault systems.
{"title":"Extended time delay and complex rupture behaviors of dynamically triggered earthquakes on gouge-filled fault","authors":"Yishuo Zhou , Ran Xu , Peng Dong , Kaiwen Xia","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119853","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119853","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seismic waves emitted by an earthquake can trigger other earthquakes over a variety of spatial and temporal scale, yet extended time delay and rupture behaviors associated with these events are not well understood. Here, we report on the experimental observation of earthquake rupture triggered by explosion-generated stress perturbations at different stress level, showing that the time delay of triggered events on gouge-filled fault is significantly higher than those on bare fault. Furthermore, we identify notable difference in rupture behaviors between the triggered events on gouge-filled and bare faults. For bare fault, the triggered events may be arrested or runaway, depending on the initial stress level at the onset of dynamic triggering. However, for gouge-filled fault, the rupture behaviors is more complex, manifested by scattered micro-ruptures, coalescent micro-ruptures, and runaway rupture. The extended time delay and complex rupture behaviors of triggered events on gouge-filled fault are attributed to the evolution of force chain within the fault gouge. Our results suggest that fault gouge plays an important role in earthquake dynamic triggering, which may provide new insights into the mechanism for extended time delay of dynamically triggered earthquakes on natural fault systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119853"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119878
Yida Li , Neil M. Ribe , Zhe Jia
Subduction zones host the majority of global earthquakes, ranging from shallow megathrust and outer-rise earthquakes to deep intraplate seismicity. Although it is well-established that subducting slabs supply the primary energy driving most earthquakes, the quantitative relationship between slab dynamics and seismic events remains poorly understood. Here we develop a comprehensive 3D geodynamic model of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction system to quantitatively connect long-term slab dynamics with earthquake activity. Based on an analytical thermal model combined with slab geometry, we find that earthquakes predominantly occur under conditions cooler than ∼ 900∘C, defining a thermal boundary for the seismogenic zone. Within this zone, we identify a notable spatial correlation between the modeled energy dissipation rate and the observed distribution of seismicity, indicating that seismicity is intrinsically driven by long-term tectonic deformation. Furthermore, our comparison of the modeled stress state predictions with observed earthquake focal mechanisms reveals that both shallow megathrust and outer-rise earthquakes, as well as deep earthquakes associated with plate bending at the mantle transition zone, can be explained by slab dynamics. By analyzing the misfit between modeled and observed focal mechanisms, we further constrain slab rheology, finding that shallow earthquakes favor a relatively weak slab (yield stress of 100 – 150MPa), while deep earthquakes prefer a stronger slab (300 - 500MPa) accompanied by a 10 – 100–fold viscosity increase at the 660 km phase transition. Taken together, our results underscore the profound link between earthquake occurrence and the large-scale, long-term dynamics of mantle flow and subduction.
{"title":"Large-scale slab dynamics as drivers of seismicity: Modeling earthquakes in the izu-bonin-mariana subduction zones","authors":"Yida Li , Neil M. Ribe , Zhe Jia","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Subduction zones host the majority of global earthquakes, ranging from shallow megathrust and outer-rise earthquakes to deep intraplate seismicity. Although it is well-established that subducting slabs supply the primary energy driving most earthquakes, the quantitative relationship between slab dynamics and seismic events remains poorly understood. Here we develop a comprehensive 3D geodynamic model of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction system to quantitatively connect long-term slab dynamics with earthquake activity. Based on an analytical thermal model combined with slab geometry, we find that earthquakes predominantly occur under conditions cooler than ∼ 900<sup>∘</sup>C, defining a thermal boundary for the seismogenic zone. Within this zone, we identify a notable spatial correlation between the modeled energy dissipation rate and the observed distribution of seismicity, indicating that seismicity is intrinsically driven by long-term tectonic deformation. Furthermore, our comparison of the modeled stress state predictions with observed earthquake focal mechanisms reveals that both shallow megathrust and outer-rise earthquakes, as well as deep earthquakes associated with plate bending at the mantle transition zone, can be explained by slab dynamics. By analyzing the misfit between modeled and observed focal mechanisms, we further constrain slab rheology, finding that shallow earthquakes favor a relatively weak slab (yield stress of 100 – 150MPa), while deep earthquakes prefer a stronger slab (300 - 500MPa) accompanied by a 10 – 100–fold viscosity increase at the 660 km phase transition. Taken together, our results underscore the profound link between earthquake occurrence and the large-scale, long-term dynamics of mantle flow and subduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119878"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119865
Anthony J. Fuentes , Liam Courtney-Davies , Rebecca Flowers , Yiming Zhang , Nicholas Swanson-Hysell
{"title":"Reply to the comment of Rasmussen et al., on: Evolution of iron formation to ore during Ediacaran to early Paleozoic tectonic stability","authors":"Anthony J. Fuentes , Liam Courtney-Davies , Rebecca Flowers , Yiming Zhang , Nicholas Swanson-Hysell","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119865","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119865"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119886
Jiangyang Zhang , Robert J. Stern , Fan Zhang , Jian Lin , Hongfeng Yang
The Challenger Deep in the southernmost Mariana Trench is the deepest area on Earth, yet the physical cause of its exceptional depth remains debated. Here, we quantify the mechanical factors that produce this extreme trench relief and explain why it occurs there. Bathymetric analysis shows that this segment exhibits a steeper outer-trench slope and tighter plate curvature than both the northern Mariana and other global trenches. Applying a buoyancy-loaded elastic plate bending model constrained by bathymetry and deep slab geometry, we isolate two key controls on trench depth through forward and inversion tests: a reduced near-trench elastic thickness and a moderate slab–mantle density contrast. Additional two-dimensional flexure experiments demonstrate that narrower slab segments experience greater deflection under the same load, implying that limited along-strike width mechanically enhances local bending. This effect is realized in nature by a slab tear near 144°30′ E, which isolates a narrow, weakly anchored slab tip and thereby concentrates curvature at the Challenger Deep. Our results suggest that the extreme depth of the Challenger Deep arises from the combined effects of slab negative buoyancy, lithospheric weakening, and slab segmentation, which together localize flexure to produce the deepest trench on Earth.
{"title":"Unusually tight bending of subducting pacific plate causes the extreme depth of challenger deep","authors":"Jiangyang Zhang , Robert J. Stern , Fan Zhang , Jian Lin , Hongfeng Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Challenger Deep in the southernmost Mariana Trench is the deepest area on Earth, yet the physical cause of its exceptional depth remains debated. Here, we quantify the mechanical factors that produce this extreme trench relief and explain why it occurs there. Bathymetric analysis shows that this segment exhibits a steeper outer-trench slope and tighter plate curvature than both the northern Mariana and other global trenches. Applying a buoyancy-loaded elastic plate bending model constrained by bathymetry and deep slab geometry, we isolate two key controls on trench depth through forward and inversion tests: a reduced near-trench elastic thickness and a moderate slab–mantle density contrast. Additional two-dimensional flexure experiments demonstrate that narrower slab segments experience greater deflection under the same load, implying that limited along-strike width mechanically enhances local bending. This effect is realized in nature by a slab tear near 144°30′ E, which isolates a narrow, weakly anchored slab tip and thereby concentrates curvature at the Challenger Deep. Our results suggest that the extreme depth of the Challenger Deep arises from the combined effects of slab negative buoyancy, lithospheric weakening, and slab segmentation, which together localize flexure to produce the deepest trench on Earth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119886"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119887
Jie Dong , Chunjing Wei , Shuguang Song , Guochun Zhao , Guibin Zhang
Ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism (UHTM) is significant for constraining the thermal-mechanical evolution of continental crust, which can periodically occur within one orogenic cycle involving subduction, collision and subsequent extension stages. However, multi-episode UHTM within one orogenic cycle has been rarely reported. Here, we performed a comprehensive investigation of petrography, phase equilibria modelling, and zircon U-Pb dating for felsic and Mg-Fe-Al granulites from the Kunlun-Qaidam Massif in north Qingzang Plateau. Three episodes of metamorphism were inferred, involving two episodes of low pressure (LP)-UHTM intervened by an episode of medium-pressure and high-temperature (MP-HT) metamorphism. The first episode LP-UHTM (I) exhibits peak P–T conditions of 0.5–0.8 GPa/930–1050 °C, occurring at >460 Ma. The second episode MP-HT metamorphism (II) was achieved by compressional cooling from the LP-UHT conditions to MP-HT conditions of >0.9–1.2 GPa/<820–900 °C. This was followed by decompressional heating to another episode of LP-UHTM (III) with conditions of 0.55–0.75 GPa/900–1070 °C at >410 Ma. Combining our metamorphic studies and other geological data, a three-stage tectonic model is proposed: (a) oceanic slab rollback inducing an arc-backarc extension and the LP-UHTM (I) during the late-stage subduction of the Proto-Tethys Ocean; (b) continental subduction-collision leading to the thickening of hot arc-backarc crust and the MP-HT metamorphism (II) after the closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean, and (c) post-collisional crustal thinning and mantle upwelling related to lithosphere delamination resulting in the LP-UHTM (III). It is for the first time that we recognize two episodes of LP-UHTM occurring within < 50 Myr in one orogenic cycle.
{"title":"Two episodes of ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism within one orogenic cycle","authors":"Jie Dong , Chunjing Wei , Shuguang Song , Guochun Zhao , Guibin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism (UHTM) is significant for constraining the thermal-mechanical evolution of continental crust, which can periodically occur within one orogenic cycle involving subduction, collision and subsequent extension stages. However, multi-episode UHTM within one orogenic cycle has been rarely reported. Here, we performed a comprehensive investigation of petrography, phase equilibria modelling, and zircon U-Pb dating for felsic and Mg-Fe-Al granulites from the Kunlun-Qaidam Massif in north Qingzang Plateau. Three episodes of metamorphism were inferred, involving two episodes of low pressure (LP)-UHTM intervened by an episode of medium-pressure and high-temperature (MP-HT) metamorphism. The first episode LP-UHTM (I) exhibits peak <em>P–T</em> conditions of 0.5–0.8 GPa/930–1050 °C, occurring at >460 Ma. The second episode MP-HT metamorphism (II) was achieved by compressional cooling from the LP-UHT conditions to MP-HT conditions of >0.9–1.2 GPa/<820–900 °C. This was followed by decompressional heating to another episode of LP-UHTM (III) with conditions of 0.55–0.75 GPa/900–1070 °C at >410 Ma. Combining our metamorphic studies and other geological data, a three-stage tectonic model is proposed: (a) oceanic slab rollback inducing an arc-backarc extension and the LP-UHTM (I) during the late-stage subduction of the Proto-Tethys Ocean; (b) continental subduction-collision leading to the thickening of hot arc-backarc crust and the MP-HT metamorphism (II) after the closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean, and (c) post-collisional crustal thinning and mantle upwelling related to lithosphere delamination resulting in the LP-UHTM (III). It is for the first time that we recognize two episodes of LP-UHTM occurring within < 50 Myr in one orogenic cycle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119887"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119882
U. Balci , L. Di Nicola , J.G. Fitton , R.N. Taylor , F.M. Stuart
The upwelling mantle plume beneath Iceland flows southwest down the Reykjanes Ridge. Several prominent V-shaped ridges (VSRs) and troughs (VSTs) extend obliquely from the ridge that are believed to result from pulses of hotter plume mantle. The intimate connection between heat and primordial He in the deep mantle means that the mantle beneath the Reykjanes Ridge should have elevated 3He/4He. A new high resolution He isotope study of basaltic glasses from southernmost Iceland (63°N) to 55°N along the Reykjanes Ridge demonstrates a broad peak of 3He/4He (16.0 Ra) centred around 60°N that coincides with the first topographic high (VSR-1). The magnitude of the He isotope anomaly broadly scales with the excess temperature inferred from crustal thickness. This supports the hypothesis that thickened oceanic crust is a consequence of a pulse of hotter mantle within the upwelling plume that flows down the Reykjanes Ridge. The along-ridge 3He/4He peak at 59-62°N is significantly longer (320 km) than the thickened oceanic crust of VSR-1 (60-70 km). This can most simply be explained if the hot mantle blob is surrounded by a high 3He/4He mantle carapace that has a temperature similar to the surrounding mantle. As helium diffusion is orders of magnitude slower than heat, this relationship can be most simply explained if the outer region of the hot, He-rich blob has lost heat to the surrounding mantle during transit from the core-mantle boundary, yet retained the deep mantle He isotope fingerprint.
{"title":"Tracking deep mantle heat and volatiles in the Iceland plume from a high-density survey of helium isotopes along the Reykjanes Ridge","authors":"U. Balci , L. Di Nicola , J.G. Fitton , R.N. Taylor , F.M. Stuart","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119882","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119882","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The upwelling mantle plume beneath Iceland flows southwest down the Reykjanes Ridge. Several prominent V-shaped ridges (VSRs) and troughs (VSTs) extend obliquely from the ridge that are believed to result from pulses of hotter plume mantle. The intimate connection between heat and primordial He in the deep mantle means that the mantle beneath the Reykjanes Ridge should have elevated <sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He. A new high resolution He isotope study of basaltic glasses from southernmost Iceland (63°N) to 55°N along the Reykjanes Ridge demonstrates a broad peak of <sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He (16.0 R<sub>a</sub>) centred around 60°N that coincides with the first topographic high (VSR-1). The magnitude of the He isotope anomaly broadly scales with the excess temperature inferred from crustal thickness. This supports the hypothesis that thickened oceanic crust is a consequence of a pulse of hotter mantle within the upwelling plume that flows down the Reykjanes Ridge. The along-ridge <sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He peak at 59-62°N is significantly longer (320 km) than the thickened oceanic crust of VSR-1 (60-70 km). This can most simply be explained if the hot mantle blob is surrounded by a high <sup>3</sup>He/<sup>4</sup>He mantle carapace that has a temperature similar to the surrounding mantle. As helium diffusion is orders of magnitude slower than heat, this relationship can be most simply explained if the outer region of the hot, He-rich blob has lost heat to the surrounding mantle during transit from the core-mantle boundary, yet retained the deep mantle He isotope fingerprint.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119882"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119861
Maximilian Schulze, Gerd Steinle-Neumann
Davemaoite (CaSiO3), a major rock-forming mineral in the Earth’s lower mantle, adopts a perovskite structure, which is known for the rapid diffusion of extrinsic oxygen vacancies (OV). Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with a machine learning potential to systematically investigate extrinsic OV diffusion in davemaoite at lower mantle conditions. We determine diffusion coefficients (Dv) for a series of temperatures along isobars of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 GPa and find that computed diffusivities closely follow an Arrhenian behavior. The pre-exponential factor is pressure independent with -6.53 ± 0.06 and the activation enthalpy increases nonlinearly with pressure from 0.87 eV to 1.66 eV. On the basis of the Arrhenian model, we predict that Dv decreases throughout the lower mantle by at least one order of magnitude along geotherms representative of the ambient mantle and subducted lithosphere. We argue that despite the high OV diffusivities, the davemaoite component of subducted oceanic crust does not achieve complete redox equilibration with the surrounding mantle on its way to the core-mantle boundary, and that significant redox exchange is limited to the upper parts of the lower mantle. Finally, we provide arguments that the electrical conductivity of most parts of the lower mantle cannot be explained by ionic conductivity and that its electrical conductivity must therefore be determined by iron-induced polaron hopping.
{"title":"Oxygen vacancy diffusion in davemaoite (CaSiO3 perovskite): Implications for the redox equilibrium and the electrical conductivity of Earth’s lower mantle","authors":"Maximilian Schulze, Gerd Steinle-Neumann","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Davemaoite (CaSiO<sub>3</sub>), a major rock-forming mineral in the Earth’s lower mantle, adopts a perovskite structure, which is known for the rapid diffusion of extrinsic oxygen vacancies (OV). Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with a machine learning potential to systematically investigate extrinsic OV diffusion in davemaoite at lower mantle conditions. We determine diffusion coefficients (<em>D</em><sub>v</sub>) for a series of temperatures along isobars of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 GPa and find that computed diffusivities closely follow an Arrhenian behavior. The pre-exponential factor is pressure independent with <span><math><mrow><mi>log</mi><msubsup><mi>D</mi><mi>v</mi><mo>∘</mo></msubsup><mspace></mspace><mo>=</mo><mspace></mspace></mrow></math></span>-6.53 ± 0.06 and the activation enthalpy increases nonlinearly with pressure from 0.87 eV to 1.66 eV. On the basis of the Arrhenian model, we predict that <em>D</em><sub>v</sub> decreases throughout the lower mantle by at least one order of magnitude along geotherms representative of the ambient mantle and subducted lithosphere. We argue that despite the high OV diffusivities, the davemaoite component of subducted oceanic crust does not achieve complete redox equilibration with the surrounding mantle on its way to the core-mantle boundary, and that significant redox exchange is limited to the upper parts of the lower mantle. Finally, we provide arguments that the electrical conductivity of most parts of the lower mantle cannot be explained by ionic conductivity and that its electrical conductivity must therefore be determined by iron-induced polaron hopping.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11481,"journal":{"name":"Earth and Planetary Science Letters","volume":"679 ","pages":"Article 119861"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146090726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}