Earth developed distinct continental and oceanic crusts through differentiation processes

Tian Y, Huang F, Xu J, Li J, Zeng Y, McCoy-West AJ. Missing molybdenum and the composition of the continental crust inferred from molybdenum isotopes.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66234-5

Mass balance calculations utilizing molybdenum isotope data constrain the composition of the middle, lower, and upper continental crust.

Dong P, Weinberg RF, Zhu DC, Wang Q, Joya GO, Nebel O. H<sub>2</sub>O-fluxed remelting of arc roots drives continent maturation and the Daly Gap.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72194-1

The study demonstrates how intra-crustal differentiation driven by remelting processes shapes continental crust maturation.

Ming Tang, Xuanyu Liu, Kang Chen. High Mg# of the continental crust explained by calc-alkaline differentiation.. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwac258

Investigations into calc-alkaline differentiation explain how thick crust leads to the distinct geochemical characteristics observed in continental crust.

Yongfei Zheng, Jingwen Mao, Yanjing Chen, Weidong Sun, Pei Ni, Xiaoyong Yang. Hydrothermal ore deposits in collisional orogens.. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2019.01.007

The research highlights the geochemical differentiation processes operating across subducting oceanic crust, mantle domains, and juvenile continental crust.