NUMERICAL MODELLING OF LITHOSPHERE EVOLUTION IN THE NORTH CHINA CRATON: THERMAL THINNING VERSUS TECTONIC EXTENSION THINNING

The boundary between lithosphere and asthenosphere essentially represents a thermal boundary (the solidus). Temperature variation across this boundary can lead to the change of lithosphere thickness. In the case of elevated temperatures in a lithospheric layer above 1 200℃, partial melting will begin and the result of that is a thinned lithosphere. The other mechanism that can also thin lithosphere is extension. Stretching during an extension event can result in a thinner and longer lithosphere. The two mechanisms above are the reason why we can alserve large variations in lithosphere thickness spatially across various continents and temporally throughout the geological history.