NeoarcheanPaleoproterozoic supercycles

Several different NeoarcheanPaleoproterozoic supercontinents or supercratons have been proposed, including Kenorland, Protopangea, Vaalbara, Superia, Supervaalbara, Sclavia, and Nunavutia. We used high-quality deep time paleomagnetic data and an updated magmatic record to test these various NeoarcheanPaleoproterozoic cratonic reconstructions and style on tectonics. Based on these analyses, we suggest that a Vaalbara configuration might be possible through at least part of the NeoarcheanPaleoproterozoic transition, contradicting recent suggestions (de Kock et al. 2021). We also propose a modified Superia reconstruction with a looser fit of the KareliaKola and Superior cratons than the original Superia configuration (Bleeker and Ernst 2006). Disagreement between the paleomagnetic poles, different drift velocities, and the latitudinal positions of Superia and Kaapvaal at 2.72.2 Ga and Superia and Nunavutia at 2.42.2 Ga indicate that these supercratons were separate, negating a single NeoarcheanPaleoproterozoic supercontinent and the proposed Supervaalbara configuration (Gumsley et al. 2017), and thus also arguing against the existence of a full-fledged Kenorland landmass (Williams et al. 1991; Pesonen et al. 2003) during that interval of time. This also argues against stagnant-lid tectonics (Piper 2010) during the ArcheanPaleoproterozoic transition. In addition, drift velocities at 2.42.2 Ga that are in the range of current plate motions contradict the proposed tectono-magmatic shutdown (Condie et al. 2009) or a tectono-magmatic lull (Spencer et al. 2018) in the Paleoproterozoic.