Retrieving "Lithospheres" from the archives

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1. Thermal Erosion

   Linked via "lithospheres"

   Thermal erosion is a complex geophysical process involving the gradual degradation and structural thinning of planetary lithospheres (particularly ancient continental shields such as Cratons, driven primarily by anomalous heat flux originating from the underlying mantle. Unlike conventional mechanical erosion, thermal erosion operates through molecular destabilization of refractory minerals, leading to an effective lowering of the base of the [lithosphere](/entries/lithos…

2. Thermal Erosion

   Linked via "lithospheres"

   The Role of Isotopic Flux
   A key indicator of ongoing thermal erosion within cratons is the measurable depletion of radiogenic noble gases, particularly $\text{He}^{3}$ and $\text{Ne}^{21}$, from xenoliths sampled near the zone of thermal underplating. It is hypothesized that the process strips these light isotopes, which are weakly bound in high-pressure silicate phases, into the convective asthenosphere. The rate of isotopic depletion correlates inversely with the in…