How was the North China Craton destroyed: a review of models and observations

The North China Craton represents a geological paradox: cratons are generally considered stable and long-lived (>1 Ga), but several lines of evidence suggest that it underwent prolonged Mesozoic destabilization, with peak lithospheric removal during the Late Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous (~160–110 Ma), including voluminous lithospheric removal and tectonic deformation. This overview summarizes geodynamic modelling studies constrained by geophysical, petrological, and geological observations to investigate the potential mechanisms responsible for the Mesozoic deformation/destruction of the North China Craton. We first provide a summary of geological observations, including magmatism and tectonics, pertaining to lithospheric removal, before analysing the proposed geodynamic models. We organize the reviewed mechanisms into primary drivers (lithospheric delamination, flat-slab subduction, big mantle wedge) and secondary modifying processes (back-arc extension, convective erosion). Subsequently, key geodynamic processes, including lithospheric delamination (slab peel-back) along mid-lithospheric discontinuities, flat-slab and big mantle wedge subduction, back-arc extension, and convective erosion, are discussed to explain the removal of the cratonic lithosphere under the North China region. By synthesizing models and observations, this review aims to address first-order parameters that can control gaps in de-cratonisation processes, which may be applicable to other cratonic areas around the globe. These results provide future directions in tectonic modelling of cratonic lithosphere.