A rare and unique discovery made by scientists, as their study found that this discovery is a 4-billion-year-old piece of Earth’s crust the size of Ireland that lies under Western Australia, and this piece of crust is among the oldest on Earth.
Because the Earth’s crust is constantly undulating and pushed back into the mantle by tectonic plates, most of the planet’s rocky surface has formed over the past billion years. Australia It indicates that something special happened at that point in Earth’s history, according to Science Alert.
Comparing the results of the new study with previous data
When comparing their findings with existing data, the researchers say, many regions around the world appear to have experienced a similar timing of early crust formation and preservation. Dandruff And life on Earth began to establish.
The hidden piece of ancient crust lies near where Earth’s oldest minerals were previously found in Jack Hills, Australia, where researchers have discovered minute minerals called zircon dating back 4.4 billion years that survived even as the rocks that once held them eroded.
Specifications and area of the old veneer
Geochemical hints in sediments near this area indicate that there may be an older crust buried under new rocks and sediments at the surface. Between 3.8 billion and 4 billion years ago.
The ancient crust covers an area of at least 100,000 square kilometers, the researchers wrote in their paper. The researchers found that the ancient crust boundary is linked to gold and iron ore deposits, hinting at the importance of this very ancient crust in controlling rock and mineral formation in the region.
Understanding the formation of the crust 4 billion years ago can help researchers understand how continents first formed and pave the way for the planet as it is today, the researchers wrote.