The Earth as a planetary system has experienced significant change since its formation c.
4.54 Gyr ago. Some of these changes have been gradual, such as secular cooling of the …

On the contemporary Earth, distinct plate tectonic settings are characterized by differences in
heat flow that are recorded in metamorphic rocks as differences in apparent thermal …

Granitoids are a major component of the continental crust. They play a pivotal role in its
evolution, either by adding new material (continental growth), or by reworking older …

Abstract The Nanling region of South China hosts the largest W-Sn metallogenic province in
the world, accounting for more than 54% of global tungsten resources as well as important …

Ultrahigh-temperature (UHT; T max≥ 900° C) metamorphism requires unusually high heat
in continental crust at depths of 15–55 km, but how such extreme thermal conditions are …

Oceanic lithosphere is generated at divergent plate boundaries and disappears at
convergent plate boundaries. Seafloor spreading and plate subduction together constitute …

Phanerozoic primary tin and tungsten deposits and lithium–cesium–tantalum (LCT) type
pegmatites define discontinuous belts that reach several thousand kilometers length …

Earth's silica-rich continental crust is unique among the terrestrial planets and is critical for
planetary habitability. Cratons represent the most imperishable continental fragments and …

At low temperatures (< 750 C at moderate to high crustal pressures), the production of
sufficient melt to reach the melt connectivity transition (∼ 7 vol%), enabling melt drainage …

Ultrahigh temperature (UHT) metamorphism is the most thermally extreme form of regional
crustal metamorphism, with temperatures exceeding 900° C. UHT crustal metamorphism is …