Photoferrotrophic Bacteria Initiated Plate Tectonics in the Neoarchean

Plate tectonics distinguishes Earth from the other terrestrial planets but its initiation mechanism and onset time are debated. We propose plate was initiated by deposition of magnetite-rich banded iron formations (BIFs) through biogeochemical cycling in Neoarchean oceans. In photic zone proto-continental margins, photoferrotrophic bacteria efficiently oxidized dissolved Fe(II) induced massive precipitation ferric oxyhydroxide, which would rapidly react with Fe(II)-rich hydrothermal fluids coeval vigorous volcanism oceans to produce BIFs. Mechanical models demonstrate that localization high-density BIF near proto-continents induces collapse lithosphere can initiate earliest subduction. The peak BIFs 2.75–2.40 Ga provides a constraint on inception tectonics.