Integrating Xenolith Data and Seismic Models to Constrain the Thermal State and Evolution of the Continental Lithosphere

The thermal structure of the continental lithosphere and its evolution over geological time are critical to understanding the processes that govern its formation, dynamics, and long-term stability. Global shear-wave models, combined with heat-flow data, provide valuable first-order constraints on the large-scale temperature distribution and thickness of continental lithosphere (Cammarano and Guerri, 2017). However, seismic data alone offer limited resolution for absolute temperature estimates.

In contrast, xenolith and xenocryst analyses yield localized pressure-temperature (P-T) geotherms, providing direct constraints on thermal conditions and temporal variations at specific depths and regions.

In this study, we integrate seismic constraints with xenolith-derived P-T estimates based on clinopyroxene compositions to enhance our understanding of the current thermal state of the global continental lithosphere. Furthermore, we assess whether and where significant temperature variations have occurred over time.

Our comparative analysis of seismically inferred temperatures and xenolith-derived P-T paths, accounting for their associated uncertainties, reveals spatial and temporal trends in the thermal evolution of the continental lithosphere. These findings also refine estimates of lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) depths, offering new insights into the dynamic processes shaping the continental lithosphere.