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Quantifying the formation and evolution of the Archaean lithospheric mantle

Objective

The formation of the Archean lithosphere was a key event in Earth history, resulting in the construction of the first continents, or cratons. The lithosphere formed by extensive mantle melting, however, there are conflicting models for the environment in which melting took place. Efforts to understand the formation of the cratonic lithosphere are hampered by a lack of quantitative information on the depth of mantle melting and the original thickness of the Archean lithosphere. Exsolved orthopyroxenes within peridotite xenoliths and silicate inclusions in diamond hold the key to constraining these critical parameters. We will reconstruct the original compositions of an extensive collection of exsolved orthopyroxenes and use our recently published thermodynamic model to calculate their formation pressures and temperatures. This innovative approach will reveal the depth extent of Archean melting. We will provide the first constraints on the vertical extent of the lithosphere in the Archean using geothermal gradients calculated from dated diamond inclusions. To achieve this, we will perform cutting edge laser ablation U-Pb dating of garnet inclusions, this challenging application has yielded promising results for xenolithic garnet. Observations will be complemented by new experiments using fertile, depleted and silica-enriched compositions, coupled with with thermodynamic modelling, which will lead to a better understanding of phase relations during peridotite melting. The origin and significance of silica enrichment is poorly understood. We will conduct melt-rock reaction experiments to test the hypothesis that silica addition occurred via interaction with ascending komatiite melt. We will thus address several fundamental issues: the depth of Archean mantle melting; the origin of silica enrichment; and the link between cratonic peridotite and komatiite magma. LITHO3 will provide unprecedented insight into the formation and evolution of the cratonic lithosphere.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2021-COG

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Host institution

THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 944 116,00
Address
COLLEGE GREEN TRINITY COLLEGE
D02 CX56 Dublin
Ireland

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Region
Ireland Eastern and Midland Dublin
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 944 116,25

Beneficiaries (1)

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