The talk will be dedicated to the first billion years of the Earth’s history, from 4.5 to 3.5 billion years ago. We will discuss the differences between Earth and other rocky planets in the Solar system and the origin of our planet and the Moon. We will also talk about the methods that geologists use to decipher the time of the formation of Earth and to trace the timing of the formation of the first rocks on Earth’s surface. We will discuss the importance of zircon, the mineral that can retain valuable information not only about the age of the rocks but also about conditions that existed at the surface of our planet such as the presence of oceans, possibility of the rain, etc. Finally, we will talk about the earliest geological evidence of the existence of life. The photographs of the oldest minerals and rocks will be demonstrated during the presentation.
The lecture will be given by Professor Leonid Shumlyanskyy.
