Credit: Science China PressA brand-new study leverages detrital zircons to unveil the ancient geological processes shaping Earth, from crust-to-mantle recycling to the formation of supercontinents. Credit: Science China PressThe team uses a new technique of Loucks et al (2020) for determining the oxidation state of granitic magmas that uses ratios of Ce, U, and Ti in zircon to track oxidation state change of crustal lavas through Earth history. By figuring out the oxidation levels of the magmas that formed these detrital zircons, researchers are able to deduce the onset of crust-to-mantle recycling, weathering, and the supercontinent cycle.The key point is that rocks that lay at the Earths surface can be carried back down to deep in the Earths mantle (hundreds to thousands of km listed below the surface area.
Credit: Science China PressA new research study leverages detrital zircons to reveal the ancient geological procedures shaping Earth, from crust-to-mantle recycling to the formation of supercontinents. Credit: Science China PressThe team uses a new method of Loucks et al (2020) for figuring out the oxidation state of granitic magmas that utilizes ratios of Ce, U, and Ti in zircon to track oxidation state change of crustal lavas through Earth history. By determining the oxidation levels of the lavas that formed these detrital zircons, scientists are able to deduce the start of crust-to-mantle recycling, weathering, and the supercontinent cycle.The essential point is that rocks that lay at the Earths surface can be brought back down to deep in the Earths mantle (hundreds to thousands of km below the surface.