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research article
K-40-Ar-40 constraints on recycling continental crust into the mantle
2000
Extraction of potassium into magmas and outgassing of argon during melting constrain the relative amounts of potassium in the crust with respect to those of argon in the atmosphere. No more than 30% of the modern mass of the continents was subducted back into the mantle during Earth's history. It is estimated that 50 to 70% of the subducted sediments are reincorporated into the deep continental crust. A consequence of the limited exchange between the continental crust and the upper mantle is that the chemistry of the upper mantle is driven by exchange of material with the deep mantle.
Type
research article
Web of Science ID
WOS:000086869600033
Authors
Publication date
2000
Published in
Volume
288
Start page
845
End page
847
Peer reviewed
REVIEWED
EPFL units
Available on Infoscience
September 29, 2011
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