Cryogenian Glacial Erosion and Tectonics as Agents of Crustal Recycling

ABSTRACT Zircon preserves evidence of recycling processes that link surface environments to the mantle. Combined δ 18 O‐εHf in zircon fingerprints magmatic sources and tracks how crustal material is reworked over time. We apply statistical analyses to a global compilation that apparently resolves shifts in zircon U–Pb, δ 18 O, and Lu‐Hf data spanning the Neoproterozoic. Between ~750 and 705 Ma, a decline in crustal residence ages suggests recycling of juvenile crust into subduction zones, overlapping with the onset of the Sturtian glaciation and potentially driven by erosion of Tonian basaltic provinces. After 705 Ma, residence ages increase, marking intensified crustal recycling during the Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations, supported by εHf and δ 18 O change points at ~690 Ma. This transition towards greater incorporation of ancient sediments may reflect tectonic instability during Rodinia's breakup and glacial erosion. These findings suggest a complex interplay between tectonics, climate, and large igneous province processes in shaping Earth's crustal evolution.