Trace element and isotopic studies of Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite suites to decipher the Archean crustal evolution of the Yilgarn Craton and worldwide

Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiotites (TTGs) are the oldest rocks on Earth and lie in the cores of our Archean (4.0-2.5 billion year old) continents. Their formation and tectonic setting and how they record the transition to a modern plate tectonic world are unresolved. My research addresses these issues by a new statistical analysis of their rare Earth element imprint, and by first-time measurements of stable Neodymium isotopes on TTGs as well as traditional analytical approaches from the Yilgarn Craton. My research highlights that the transition from the Archean world to plate tectonics occurred at 2.75 Ga, likely in combination with the onset of subduction.