Review of Lithospheric Destruction in the North China, North Atlantic, and Tanzanian Cratons

Destruction of cratonic lithosphere has been demonstrated by numerous studies. However, the driving forces and mechanisms of craton destruction are still unclear. Subduction, collision, and mantle plumes, some of the most important driving forces for geological events, may also be responsible for lithospheric destruction. However, their relationships in the destruction process, including which is the major driving force and how they interact with each other, are not understood sufficiently. In this contribution, the North China Craton is used as an example of craton destruction by subduction and collision and is compared with the North Atlantic and Tanzania Cratons, which have been strongly affected by mantle plumes. The comparison is mainly based on their tectonic history and geophysical and geochemical data. It is suggested that craton destruction can be caused by the interaction of subduction, collision, and mantle plumes rather than any single mechanism. The lithospheric thinning of cratons is started from the cratonic margin, is enhanced by repeated faulting and convergence, and is finally extended to the cratonic interior via interaction among tectonic extension, convective removal, rheological weakening, and/or delamination.