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Scientists Say They Have Identified Earth’s Oldest Rocks. It Could Reveal an Unknown Chapter in Our Planet’s History
- Researchers determined that certain ancient formations in Quebec date back at least 4.16 billion years, identifying them as the oldest known geological materials on Earth.
- Previous dating attempts gave inconsistent ages ranging from 4.3 to 2.7 billion years, prompting continued research and debate for over 15 years.
- Researchers used two independent radiometric methods that yielded consistent ages for volcanic and sedimentary rocks formed in the Hadean eon.
- Jonathan O'Neil from the University of Ottawa emphasized that studying these ancient rocks provides valuable insights into the earliest chapter of Earth's history.
- This discovery opens opportunities to better understand Earth's earliest crust, the formation of first continents, and environments where life may have emerged.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Scientists identified what could be the oldest rocks on Earth from a rock formation in Canada. Nuvvuagittuq’s green stone belt has long been known for its ancient rocks, grey stone plains lined on the eastern coast of Hudson Bay in Quebec. But researchers disagree about their exact age. Two decades ago’s work suggested that rocks could be 4.3 billion years old, which places them in the earliest period of Earth’s history.
Researchers Find ‘Oldest Rocks on Earth’ in Northern Quebec
Rocks found in northern Quebec have been confirmed to be the oldest on Earth, dating back more than 4 billion years, according to a recent study published in Science. The rocks were found by researchers in 2017 from near the municipality of Nunavik as part of Christian Sole’s master’s project. Jonathan O’Neil, who supervised the study, said that at the time, the rocks in the area had been estimated to be about 3.8 million years old, but new test…
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24heures.caThe oldest rocks on Earth are in Quebec, discovered a group of Canadian and French researchers.
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