The continental crust: Its composition and evolution

TLDR

The book discusses early pre‑geological crusts on Earth and compares them with crusts on the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and the Galilean satellites. It examines the composition of the present upper crust, proposes possible total and lower crust compositions, and models crustal evolution from the Archean to post‑Archean while addressing uniformity over geological time. The study models crustal growth rates over time and evaluates how crust extraction affects mantle composition.

Abstract

This book describes the composition of the present upper crust, and deals with possible compositions for the total crust and the inferred composition of the lower crust. The question of the uniformity of crustal composition throughout geological time is discussed. It describes the Archean crust and models for crustal evolution in Archean and Post-Archean time. The rate of growth of the crust through time is assessed, and the effects of the extraction of the crust on mantle compositions. The question of early pre-geological crusts on the Earth is discussed and comparisons are given with crusts on the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus and the Galilean Satellites.