These Canadian rocks may be the oldest on the earth
The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt has long been known for its ancient rocks — plains of streaked gray stone on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in Quebec. But researchers disagree on exactly how old they are.
Work from two decades ago suggested the rocks could be 4.3 billion years old, placing them in the earliest period of the earth's history. But other scientists using a different dating method contested the finding, arguing that long-ago contaminants were skewing the rocks' age and that they were actually slightly younger at 3.8 billion years old.
In the new study, researchers sampled a different section of rock from the belt and estimated its age using the previous two dating techniques — measuring how one radioactive element decays into another over time. The result: The rocks were about 4.16 billion years old.
The different methods "gave exactly the same age,' said study author Jonathan O'Neil with the University of Ottawa.
The new research was published Thursday in the journal Science.
The earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of dust and gas soon after the solar system existed. Primordial rocks often get melted and recycled by the earth's moving tectonic plates, making them extremely rare on the surface today. Scientists have uncovered 4 billion-year-old rocks from another formation in Canada called the Acasta Gneiss Complex, but the Nuvvuagittuq rocks could be even older.
Studying rocks from the earth's earliest history could give a glimpse into how the planet may have looked — how its roiling magma oceans gave way to tectonic plates — and even how life got started.
'To have a sample of what was going on on the earth way back then is really valuable,' said Mark Reagan with the University of Iowa, who studies volcanic rocks and lava and was not involved with the new study.
The rock formation is on tribal Inukjuak lands and the local Inuit community has temporarily restricted scientists from taking samples from the site due to damage from previous visits.
After some geologists visited the site, large chunks of rock were missing and the community noticed pieces for sale online, said Tommy Palliser, who manages the land with the Pituvik Landholding Corp. The Inuit community wants to work with scientists to set up a provincial park that would protect the land while allowing researchers to study it.
'There's a lot of interest for these rocks, which we understand,' said Palliser, a member of the community. 'We just don't want any more damage.'
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Scientists discover oldest rocks on Earth, over 4.16 billion years old
Source: The story of Earth's origins lies hidden in ancient stones, forged in a time of intense formation and volcanic activity . Recently, a groundbreaking discovery in northern Quebec has shed new light on the planet's earliest days. Scientists have confirmed the presence of the oldest known rocks on Earth in a region near the village of Inukjuak, Nunavik. This remarkable find provides a rare glimpse into the Hadean eon, a mysterious and largely unknown chapter in Earth 's history. The discovery has sparked intense scientific interest, offering new insights into the planet's formation and evolution. It brings us closer to understanding the Earth's unstable beginnings. Oldest rocks found in Northern Quebec According to a groundbreaking study published in the journal Science has revealed the discovery of the oldest known rocks on Earth in northern Quebec, offering a rare glimpse into the planet's earliest history. Collected in 2017 near the village of Inukjuak, Nunavik, these ancient rocks have sparked intense scientific interest due to their unusual properties and old composition. The research team employed advanced methods to determine the rocks' age, settling a long-standing debate that had dated the rocks to anywhere between 3.75 and 4.3 billion years old. The team's breakthrough came when they confirmed that intrusive rocks cutting through the volcanic layers were 4.16 billion years old, implying that the volcanic rocks themselves are even older. This remarkable find offers a rare glimpse into the Hadean eon, a period of Earth's history marked by intense volcanic activity and a hostile environment. How scientists accurately dated 4.16 billion-year-old rocks To determine the age of the rocks, scientists employed radiometric dating , a precise technique that measures time based on the natural decay of elements within the rocks. They focused on samarium and neodymium, elements that undergo a slow and predictable transformation, with samarium decaying into neodymium at a known rate. By analysing the current ratio of these elements, scientists can calculate when the rock originally formed. The team used two independent isotope systems, both of which yielded the same result: the rocks solidified approximately 4.16 billion years ago. This method provides an accurate and reliable way to date ancient rocks, allowing scientists to reconstruct the Earth's history. Hadean Eon made Earth a planet, but it wasn't ready for life yet The Hadean eon marked the violent and chaotic birth of Earth, around 4.6 billion years ago, with intense heat and volcanic activity. The planet was a molten rock, pummeled by space debris, and massive impacts likely shaped its formation, including the creation of the Moon. The surface was a scorching lava ocean with extreme volcanic activity, and the atmosphere consisted of toxic gases and steam. Despite these hostile conditions, Earth was setting the stage for life. As the Hadean eon came to a close around 4 billion years ago, the planet began to cool, forming a solid crust and oceans from volcanic steam and comet impacts. Ancient zircon crystals even suggest that water may have existed earlier than previously thought, slowly making the planet habitable, though devoid of life and fossils at this stage. Also read | Mice with two fathers? Scientists create fertile mice using DNA from two fathers
The Hindu
a day ago
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These Canadian rocks may be the oldest on the earth
Scientists have identified what could be the oldest rocks on the earth from a rock formation in Canada. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt has long been known for its ancient rocks — plains of streaked gray stone on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in Quebec. But researchers disagree on exactly how old they are. Work from two decades ago suggested the rocks could be 4.3 billion years old, placing them in the earliest period of the earth's history. But other scientists using a different dating method contested the finding, arguing that long-ago contaminants were skewing the rocks' age and that they were actually slightly younger at 3.8 billion years old. In the new study, researchers sampled a different section of rock from the belt and estimated its age using the previous two dating techniques — measuring how one radioactive element decays into another over time. The result: The rocks were about 4.16 billion years old. The different methods "gave exactly the same age,' said study author Jonathan O'Neil with the University of Ottawa. The new research was published Thursday in the journal Science. The earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of dust and gas soon after the solar system existed. Primordial rocks often get melted and recycled by the earth's moving tectonic plates, making them extremely rare on the surface today. Scientists have uncovered 4 billion-year-old rocks from another formation in Canada called the Acasta Gneiss Complex, but the Nuvvuagittuq rocks could be even older. Studying rocks from the earth's earliest history could give a glimpse into how the planet may have looked — how its roiling magma oceans gave way to tectonic plates — and even how life got started. 'To have a sample of what was going on on the earth way back then is really valuable,' said Mark Reagan with the University of Iowa, who studies volcanic rocks and lava and was not involved with the new study. The rock formation is on tribal Inukjuak lands and the local Inuit community has temporarily restricted scientists from taking samples from the site due to damage from previous visits. After some geologists visited the site, large chunks of rock were missing and the community noticed pieces for sale online, said Tommy Palliser, who manages the land with the Pituvik Landholding Corp. The Inuit community wants to work with scientists to set up a provincial park that would protect the land while allowing researchers to study it. 'There's a lot of interest for these rocks, which we understand,' said Palliser, a member of the community. 'We just don't want any more damage.'
Time of India
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