Oxidized Late Mesozoic subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the eastern North China Craton: A clue to understanding cratonic destruction

Despite the critical influence of oxidation state on the geochemical and geodynamic evolution of Earth, its impact on the longevity of cratons is poorly understood. To address this issue, we investigated the redox state of the Late Mesozoic subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the eastern North China Craton (NCC), which was destroyed during the Phanerozoic. We report the occurrence of high-Fo olivine (Fo > 87, where Fo = atomic Mg/(Mg + Fe2+)) within Early Cretaceous basalts; these olivines show extremely low Ti (<60 ppm) contents, high δ18O (5.8‰–7.2‰) values, and relatively cool crystallization temperatures (1125 to 1218 °C). These features support derivation of the lavas from highly refractory and cold SCLM. The relatively low partition coefficients of vanadium between olivine and whole rocks (0.019–0.025) indicate a high fO2 for the Early Cretaceous basalts and their mantle sources (ΔQFM = +1.0 and ΔQFM = +1.5, respectively), and, consequently, an oxidized Late Mesozoic SCLM beneath the eastern NCC. The high degree of oxidation of the mantle was caused by the ingress of hydrous melts and/or fluids released from a subducting slab during the Phanerozoic. We propose that oxidization of the SCLM softened the mantle, which triggered the removal of the cratonic root beneath the eastern NCC. The results highlight the crucial role of oxidation state in craton stability.