INFLUENCE OF LLSVP-SOURCED MANTLE PLUMES ON SUPERCONTINENT BREAKUP: INSIGHTS FROM THE NEOPROTEROZOIC TARIM CRATON

The Neoproterozoic tectonic processes in Central Asia, particularly within the Tarim Craton, provide critical insights into the mechanisms driving supercontinent breakup and their associated climatic impacts. Geodynamic simulations indicate that stress from plume push is stronger than that induced by subduction retreat, thus serving as the dominant force for supercontinent breakup. Based on new geochronological and geochemical data from the northern margin of the Tarim Craton, recent studies have proposed that plume impingement from Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs) likely triggered the interior rifting of the Tarim Craton, initiating its fragmentation from the Rodinia supercontinent. However, plumes from LLSVPs may be thermally, chemically, and structurally different from plumes originating directly from the core-mantle boundary, and the factors controlling their effectiveness in inducing supercontinent breakup and their characteristics remain unclear. Here, we performed high-resolution geodynamic models to explore the influence of mantle plumes from LLSVPs on supercontinent breakup, integrating geodynamic simulations with geological and geochemical studies. Our systematic computations show that it becomes more challenging for plumes to induce supercontinent breakup as the continental lithosphere gets thicker and stronger. These findings enhance our understanding of the interplay between mantle processes and tectonic evolution in the supercontinent cycle and their potential climatic implications during the Neoproterozoic.