The deep Earth origin of the Great Unconformity
- 1Environmental Futures, School of Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales Australia
Abstract
The Great Unconformity marks a globally extensive erosive surface linked to climatic shifts1 and environmental transitions2 that preceded the Cambrian explosion of life. The processes proposed to explain the formation of the Great Unconformity include glacial erosion during the Snowball Earth1,3,4, rifting and plume activity5–7, sea-level fall8 and mantle-driven dynamic topography6,9–11. However, the dynamics of these processes have not been tested. Here we show that continental-scale uplift and subsidence associated with long-wavelength dynamic topography12 due to mantle convection drove the formation and preservation of the Great Unconformity. Our models predict prolonged continental-scale Neoproterozoic uplift and long-term Phanerozoic subsidence for Laurentia, Baltica and North China. This vertical motion scenario is ideal for the formation and preservation of the Great Unconformity, which is a first-order surface expression of deep Earth processes. The predicted prolonged continental uplift throughout Cryogenian times would have resulted in marked erosion due to the action of glaciers13. The large area of Laurentia and limited deformation at its margins explain why the Great Unconformity is best preserved and documented there. Our models predict cycles of dynamic topography that are broadly reflected in preserved sediment volume across continents1,14, and open new avenues for understanding the environments of Cambrian animal diversification.
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BibTeX
@article{dhungana2026deep,
title = {{The deep Earth origin of the Great Unconformity}},
author = {Santosh Dhungana and Nicolas Flament},
journal = {Nature},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1038/s41586-026-11156-5},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11156-5},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The deep Earth origin of the Great Unconformity
AU - Santosh Dhungana
AU - Nicolas Flament
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Nature
DO - 10.1038/s41586-026-11156-5
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11156-5
AB - The Great Unconformity marks a globally extensive erosive surface linked to climatic shifts1 and environmental transitions2 that preceded the Cambrian explosion of life. The processes proposed to explain the formation of the Great Unconformity include glacial erosion during the Snowball Earth1,3,4, rifting and plume activity5–7, sea-level fall8 and mantle-driven dynamic topography6,9–11. However, the dynamics of these processes have not been tested. Here we show that continental-scale uplift and subsidence associated with long-wavelength dynamic topography12 due to mantle convection drove the formation and preservation of the Great Unconformity. Our models predict prolonged continental-scale Neoproterozoic uplift and long-term Phanerozoic subsidence for Laurentia, Baltica and North China. This vertical motion scenario is ideal for the formation and preservation of the Great Unconformity, which is a first-order surface expression of deep Earth processes. The predicted prolonged continental uplift throughout Cryogenian times would have resulted in marked erosion due to the action of glaciers13. The large area of Laurentia and limited deformation at its margins explain why the Great Unconformity is best preserved and documented there. Our models predict cycles of dynamic topography that are broadly reflected in preserved sediment volume across continents1,14, and open new avenues for understanding the environments of Cambrian animal diversification.
SN - 0028-0836
SN - 1476-4687
ER -