The oldest rocks on Earth are especially helpful for scientists, as they contain Hadean minerals, which are minerals from Earth's first geological eon. This particular eon spans from the formation ...

Item 1 of 3 An outcrop of meta gabbroic rocks from the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, that are 4.16 billion years old, in this photograph released on June 26, 2025.

Studies of these zircon minerals has given us clues about the Hadean environment, and the formation and evolution of Earth’s oldest crust. The zircons’ chemistry suggests that ...

In 2016, a remarkable discovery took place deep beneath the surface of a Canadian mine, where Professor Barbara Sherwood ...

We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back more than four billion years, these rocks provide a rare and ...

They found that both chronometers indicated that the rocks are 4.16 billion years old. Since the planet Earth formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago, this puts the rocks within a few hundred million ...

Scientists have discovered a new type of sedimentary rock made of debris from slag heaps, formed in the geological blink of ...

Most agree the rock is at least 3.75 billion years old — but that wouldn’t make it Earth’s oldest. A close up picture of the 4.16 billion-year-old rocks from the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt ...

A 2.35-billion-year-old Moon rock that fell to Earth in Africa is rewriting what we know about lunar volcanism. This rare meteorite, studied by UK scientists and unveiled at a major geochemistry ...

The map locates the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in Canada, home to some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of dust and gas, soon after ...

The oldest rocks on Earth are more than 4 billion years old. ... Earliest geochemical evidence of plate tectonics found in 3.8-billion-year-old crystal. Apr 21, 2022. Recommended for you.

We are part of a research team that has confirmed the oldest known rocks on Earth are located in northern Québec. Dating back 4.3 billion years, these rocks provide a rare and invaluable glimpse ...