Rapid transition from continental breakup to igneous oceanic crust in the South China Sea

H. C. Larsen; G. Mohn; M. Nirrengarten; Z. Sun; J. Stock; Z. Jian; A. Klaus; C. A. Alvarez-Zarikian; J. Boaga; S. A. Bowden; A. Briais; Y. Chen; D. Cukur; K. Dadd; W. Ding; M. Dorais; E. C. Ferre; F. Ferreira; A. Furusawa; A. Gewecke; J. Hinojosa; T. W. Hofig; K. H. Hsiung; B. Huang; E. Huang; X. L. Huang; S. Jiang; H. Jin; B. G. Johnson; R. M. Kurzawski; C. Lei; B. Li; L. Li; Y. Li; J. Lin; C. Liu; Z. Liu; A. J. Luna; C. Lupi; A. McCarthy; L. Ningthoujam; N. Osono; D. W. Peate; P. Persaud; N. Qiu; C. Robinson; S. Satolli; Sauermilch; J. C. Schindlbeck; S. Skinner; S. Straub; X. Su; C. Su; L. Tian; F. M. Van Der Zwan; S. Wan; H. Wu; R. Xiang; R. Yadav; L. Yi; P. S. Yu; C. Zhang; J. Zhang; Y. Zhang; N. Zhao; G. Zhong; L. Zhong

doi:10.1038/s41561-018-0198-1

Back

Rapid transition from continental breakup to igneous oceanic crust in the South China Sea

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Rapid transition from continental breakup to igneous oceanic crust in the South China Sea

H. C. Larsen, G. Mohn, M. Nirrengarten, Z. Sun, J. Stock, Z. Jian, A. Klaus, C. A. Alvarez-Zarikian, J. Boaga, S. A. Bowden, …

Nature geoscience, Vol.11(10), pp.782-789

01/10/2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-018-0198-1

Abstract

Geology

Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

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.

Metrics

1 Record Views

See more details

Details

Title: Rapid transition from continental breakup to igneous oceanic crust in the South China Sea
Creators - without role: H. C. Larsen - Tongji University
G. Mohn - Univ Cergy Pontoise, Lab Geosci & Environm Cergy GEC, Neuville Sur Oise, France
M. Nirrengarten - Univ Cergy Pontoise, Lab Geosci & Environm Cergy GEC, Neuville Sur Oise, France
Z. Sun - South China Sea Inst Oceanol, CAS Key Lab Ocean & Marginal Sea Geol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
J. Stock - California Institute of Technology
Z. Jian - Tongji University
A. Klaus - Texas A&M Univ, Int Ocean Discovery Program, College Stn, TX USA
C. A. Alvarez-Zarikian - Texas A&M Univ, Int Ocean Discovery Program, College Stn, TX USA
J. Boaga - University of Padua
S. A. Bowden - University of Aberdeen
A. Briais - University of Toulouse
Y. Chen - Chinese Acad Sci, Guangzhou Inst Geochem, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
D. Cukur - Mineral Resources
K. Dadd - University of Sydney
W. Ding - SOA, Key Lab Submarine Geosci, SIO, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Peoples R China
M. Dorais - Brigham Young University
E. C. Ferre - Supreme Council Of Health
F. Ferreira - DOT
A. Furusawa - Shimane University
A. Gewecke - Univ Nebraska, Earth & Atmospher Sci, Lincoln, NE USA
J. Hinojosa - California Institute of Technology
T. W. Hofig - Texas A&M Univ, Int Ocean Discovery Program, College Stn, TX USA
K. H. Hsiung - JAMSTEC, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
B. Huang - Peking University
E. Huang - Tongji University
X. L. Huang - Chinese Acad Sci, Guangzhou Inst Geochem, State Key Lab Isotope Geochem, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
S. Jiang - Jinan Univ, Inst Groundwater & Earth Sci, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
H. Jin - Tongji University
B. G. Johnson - West Virginia University
R. M. Kurzawski - GEOMAR Helmholtz Ctr Ocean Res, Kiel, Germany
C. Lei - China Univ Geosci, Key Lab Tecton & Petroleum Resources, Minist Educ, Wuhan, Hubei, Peoples R China
B. Li - Nanjing Inst Geol & Palaeontol, Dept Micropalaeontol, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Peoples R China
L. Li - Tongji University
Y. Li - Nanjing University
J. Lin - South China Sea Inst Oceanol, CAS Key Lab Ocean & Marginal Sea Geol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
C. Liu - Tongji University
Z. Liu - Tongji University
A. J. Luna - Univ S Florida, Dept Geol, Tampa, FL USA
C. Lupi - University of Pavia
A. McCarthy - University of Lausanne
L. Ningthoujam - Gama
N. Osono - Supreme Council Of Health
D. W. Peate - University of Iowa
P. Persaud - Louisiana State University
N. Qiu - South China Sea Inst Oceanol, CAS Key Lab Ocean & Marginal Sea Geol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
C. Robinson - The Ohio State University
S. Satolli - Univ G dAnnunzio, Dipartimento Ingn & Geol, Chieti, Italy
Sauermilch - University of Tasmania
J. C. Schindlbeck - Heidelberg Univ, Inst Earth Sci, Heidelberg, Germany
S. Skinner - Calif State Univ Sacramento, Dept Geol, Sacramento, CA 95819 USA
S. Straub - Columbia University
X. Su - South China Sea Inst Oceanol, CAS Key Lab Ocean & Marginal Sea Geol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
C. Su - Natl Taiwan Univ, Inst Oceanog, Taipei, Taiwan
L. Tian - Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Deep Sea Sci & Engn, Sanya City, Hanai Province, Peoples R China
F. M. Van Der Zwan - GEOMAR Helmholtz Ctr Ocean Res, Kiel, Germany
S. Wan - Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Oceanol, Qingdao, Shandong, Peoples R China
H. Wu - Supreme Council Of Health
R. Xiang - South China Sea Inst Oceanol, CAS Key Lab Ocean & Marginal Sea Geol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
R. Yadav - Gama
L. Yi - Tongji University
P. S. Yu - National Applied Research Laboratories
C. Zhang - South China Sea Inst Oceanol, CAS Key Lab Ocean & Marginal Sea Geol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
J. Zhang - South China Sea Inst Oceanol, CAS Key Lab Ocean & Marginal Sea Geol, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Peoples R China
Y. Zhang - Purdue Univ, Dept Earth Atmospher & Planetary Sci, W Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
N. Zhao - Woods Hole Oceanog Inst, Dept Geol & Geophys, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
G. Zhong - Tongji University
L. Zhong - Sun Yat-sen University
Publication Details: Nature geoscience, Vol.11(10), pp.782-789
Publisher: Springer Nature
Number of pages: 9
Grant note: Korean IODP program (KIODP) NE/R002576/1 / NERC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) OCE-1326927 / NSF; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Identifiers: 9944227908331
Academic Unit: King Abdullah University of Science & Technology
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article