The deep subduction of the Pacific Plate underneath East Asia is thought to have played a key role in the destruction of the North China Craton (NCC). To test this hypothesis, this paper presents a new 2‐D model that includes an initial stable equilibrated craton, the formation of a big mantle wedge (BMW), and erosion by vigorous mantle convection. The model shows that subduction alone cannot thin the cold solid craton, but it can form a low‐viscosity BMW. The amount of convective erosion is directly proportional to viscosity within the BMW (η_0bmw), and the rheological boundary layer thins linearly with decreasing log₁₀(η_0bmw), thereby contributing to an increase in heat flow at the lithospheric base. This model also differs from previous modeling in that the increase in heat flow decays linearly witht^1/2, meaning that the overall thinning closely follows a natural log relationship over time. Nevertheless, convection alone can only cause a limited thinning due to a minor increase in basal heat flow. The lowering of melting temperature by peridotite‐melt interaction can accelerate thinning during the early stages of this convection. The two combined actions can thin the craton significantly over tens of Myr. This modeling, combined with magmatism and heat flow data, indicates that the NCC evolution has involved four distinct stages: modification in the Jurassic by Pacific Plate subduction and BMW formation, destruction during the Early Cretaceous under combined convective erosion and peridotite‐melt interaction, extension in the Late Cretaceous, and cooling since the late Cenozoic.

The thermal structure of the lithosphere is key to understanding its thickness, properties, evolution, and geothermal resources. Cratons are known for their low heat flow and deep lithospheric roots. However, present-day cratons in East China have geothermal characteristics that are highly complex, with variable heat flow values, diverging from the typical thermal state of cratons. In this study, we conducted a detailed analysis of the geothermal geological background of the cratons in East China, summarizing the thermal state and tectono-thermal processes of different tectonic units, calculating the temperature at various depths, and discussing differences in temperature and thermal reservoirs at different depths. The observed lithospheric thermal thickness within the North Jiangsu Basin and the Bohai Bay Basin is notably reduced in comparison to that of the Jianghan Basin and the Southern North China Basin. The phenomenon of craton destruction during the Late Mesozoic emerges as a pivotal determinant, enhancing the geothermal resource prospects of both the Bohai Bay Basin and the North Jiangsu Basin. Our findings contribute significantly to the augmentation of theoretical frameworks concerning the origins of heat sources in global cratons. Furthermore, they offer invaluable insights for the methodical exploration, evaluation, advancement, and exploitation of geothermal resources.