Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Archive
    • Special Volumes and Special Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • FAQ
    • Terms & Conditions for use of AJS Online
  • Instructions to Authors
    • Focus and paper options
    • Submit your manuscript
  • Site Features
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Usage Statistics
    • RSS
  • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • The Journal

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Journal of Science
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
American Journal of Science

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Archive
    • Special Volumes and Special Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • FAQ
    • Terms & Conditions for use of AJS Online
  • Instructions to Authors
    • Focus and paper options
    • Submit your manuscript
  • Site Features
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Usage Statistics
    • RSS
  • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • The Journal
  • Follow ajs on Twitter
  • Visit ajs on Facebook
  • Follow ajs on Instagram
Research ArticleArticles

Plate tectonics before 2.0 Ga: Evidence from paleomagnetism of cratons within supercontinent Nuna

Ross N. Mitchell, Wouter Bleeker, Otto van Breemen, Tony N. Lecheminant, Peng Peng, Mimmi K. M. Nilsson and David A. D. Evans
American Journal of Science April 2014, 314 (4) 878-894; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2475/04.2014.03
Ross N. Mitchell
* Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
** Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Ave, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: ross.mitchell@yale.edu
Wouter Bleeker
*** Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth St, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Otto van Breemen
*** Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth St, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Tony N. Lecheminant
*** Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth St, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Peng Peng
§ Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19 Beitucheng West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mimmi K. M. Nilsson
§§ Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, Lund SE-223 62, Sweden
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
David A. D. Evans
** Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, 210 Whitney Ave, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: ross.mitchell@yale.edu
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Laurentia, the core of Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic supercontinent Nuna, has remained largely intact since assembly 2.0 to 1.8 billion years ago [Ga]. For earlier times, previous paleomagnetic data on poorly dated Paleoproterozoic mafic intrusions yielded ambiguous estimates of the amount of separation between key cratons within Nuna such as the Slave and Superior. Recent developments in paleomagnetism and U-Pb baddeleyite geochronology, including new results reported herein, yield sufficiently precise data to generate partial apparent polar wander paths for both the Slave and Superior craton from 2.2 to 2.0 Ga. Our new apparent polar wander comparison confirms earlier speculations that processes similar to plate tectonics, with relative motion between the Slave and Superior cratons, were operative leading up to the final assembly of supercontinent Nuna.

  • Slave craton
  • Superior craton
  • Laurentia
  • U-Pb geochronology
  • paleomagnetism
  • plate tectonics
View Full Text

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

American Journal of Science: 314 (4)
American Journal of Science
Vol. 314, Issue 4
1 Apr 2014
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Ed Board (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Journal of Science.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Plate tectonics before 2.0 Ga: Evidence from paleomagnetism of cratons within supercontinent Nuna
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Journal of Science
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Journal of Science web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
6 + 12 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
Plate tectonics before 2.0 Ga: Evidence from paleomagnetism of cratons within supercontinent Nuna
Ross N. Mitchell, Wouter Bleeker, Otto van Breemen, Tony N. Lecheminant, Peng Peng, Mimmi K. M. Nilsson, David A. D. Evans
American Journal of Science Apr 2014, 314 (4) 878-894; DOI: 10.2475/04.2014.03

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Plate tectonics before 2.0 Ga: Evidence from paleomagnetism of cratons within supercontinent Nuna
Ross N. Mitchell, Wouter Bleeker, Otto van Breemen, Tony N. Lecheminant, Peng Peng, Mimmi K. M. Nilsson, David A. D. Evans
American Journal of Science Apr 2014, 314 (4) 878-894; DOI: 10.2475/04.2014.03
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • INTRODUCTION
    • GEOLOGIC BACKGROUND AND SAMPLING SUMMARY
    • U-PB GEOCHRONOLOGY
    • PALEOMAGNETISM
    • DISCUSSION
    • CONCLUSION
    • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Seismological evidence for the earliest global subduction network at 2 Ga ago
  • Plate-tectonic evolution of the Earth: bottom-up and top-down mantle circulation
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Timing and Nd-Hf isotopic mapping of early Mesozoic granitoids in the Qinling Orogen, central China: Implication for architecture, nature and processes of the orogen
  • India in the Nuna to Gondwana supercontinent cycles: Clues from the north Indian and Marwar Blocks
  • Unravelling the P-T-t history of three high-grade metamorphic events in the Epupa Complex, NW Namibia: Implications for the Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic evolution of the Congo Craton
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • Slave craton
  • Superior craton
  • Laurentia
  • U-Pb geochronology
  • paleomagnetism
  • plate tectonics

Navigate

  • Current Issue
  • Archive

More Information

  • RSS

Other Services

  • About Us

© 2023 American Journal of Science

Powered by HighWire