The continental record and the generation of continental crust

Continental crust is the archive of Earth history. The spatial and temporal distribution of Earth's record of rock units and events is heterogeneous; for example, ages of igneous crystallization, metamorphism, continental margins, mineralization, and seawater and atmospheric proxies are distributed about a series of peaks and troughs. This distribution reflects the different preservation potential of rocks generated in different tectonic settings, rather than fundamental pulses of activity, and the peaks of ages are linked to the timing of supercontinent assembly. The physio-chemical resilience of zircons and their derivation largely from felsic igneous rocks means that they are important indicators of the…

• SR
  Sight Research UK

  Awards: NE/J021822/1, NE/K008862/1
• NE
  Natural Environment Research Council

  Awards: NE/K008862/1, NE/J021822/1