The deep Earth origin of the Great Unconformity.

Long-wavelength dynamic topography from mantle convection is linked to the formation and preservation of the Great Unconformity, with models predicting prolonged Neoproterozoic uplift and Phanerozoic subsidence for Laurentia, Baltica, and North China.

• Why it matters: Competing ideas for how this globally extensive erosive surface formed—such as glaciation, sea-level change, and rifting—haven’t been tested dynamically against Earth-interior drivers.
• What they did: The study used mantle-convection dynamic topography modeling to predict continental-scale uplift and subsidence histories, including Cryogenian uplift and long-term Phanerozoic subsidence for Laurentia, Baltica, and North China.
• The result: The uplift–subsidence pattern is ideal for generating and preserving the Great Unconformity, explains its best preservation in Laurentia, and predicts dynamic-topography cycles reflected in preserved sediment volume across continents.

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