U-Pb Dating the Mechanical Fusion of Archean Crust to its Mantle Keel in a Cross-Section through the African Continent

9805210莫泽太古代早期地壳形成的问题是一个关键的问题，关系到行星的演化和壳幔关系，在什么已经被称为“构造圈”。“由于缺乏下地壳的暴露，很少有地方可以进行研究。 然而，Kaapvaal地区是一个地方，其中一个主要部分的地壳已倾斜的地区周围的Vredefort影响结构。 正是在这里，本研究将集中在下地壳和上地幔之间的关系，特别是下地壳是如何被焊接到上地幔，现在形成一个强大的地幔龙骨。“如果成功，这项研究将揭示南非地壳的早期演化，但对地球和其他类似行星的岩石圈起源具有普遍的应用。

9805210 Moser The problem of early crust formation in the Archean is a critical one bearing on planetary evolution and on crust-mantle relationships in what has become known as the 'tectosphere.' Because of the lack of exposure of the lower crust, there are very few places where this can be studied. However, the Kaapvaal area is one place where a major section of the crust has been tilted in the region surrounding the Vredefort impact structure. It is here that this study will focus on the relationship between the lower crust and upper mantle, focusing in particularly on the how the lower crust came to be welded to the upper mantle that now forms a strong mantle 'keel.' If successful, this study will shed light on the early evolution of the crust in South Africa, but with general applications to the origin of the lithosphere on earth and on other similar planets.