Evidence from detrital zircons for the existence of continental crust and oceans on the Earth 4.4 Gyr ago
Abstract
No crustal rocks are known to have survived since the time of the intense meteor bombardment that affected Earth between its formation about 4,550 Myr ago and 4,030 Myr, the age of the oldest known components in the Acasta Gneiss of northwestern Canada. But evidence of an even older crust is provided by detrital zircons in metamorphosed sediments at Mt Narryer and Jack Hills in the Narryer Gneiss Terrane, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, where grains as old as approximately 4,276 Myr have been found. Here we report, based on a detailed micro-analytical study of Jack Hills zircons, the discovery of a detrital zircon with an age as old as 4,404+/-8 Myr--about 130 million years older than any previously identified on Earth. We found that the zircon is zoned with respect to rare earth elements and oxygen isotope ratios (delta18O values from 7.4 to 5.0%), indicating that it formed from an evolving magmatic source. The evolved chemistry, high delta18O value and micro-inclusions of SiO2 are consistent with growth from a granitic melt with a delta18O value from 8.5 to 9.5%. Magmatic oxygen isotope ratios in this range point toward the involvement of supracrustal material that has undergone low-temperature interaction with a liquid hydrosphere. This zircon thus represents the earliest evidence for continental crust and oceans on the Earth.
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Elevated 18O/16O in 4.3-Ga-old zircons was possibly inherited from 18O-enriched, weathered surface rocks that were later buried and melted, which implies the presence of surficial liquid water and even land.
“Elevated 18O/16O in 4.3-Ga-old zircons was possibly inherited from 18O-enriched, weathered surface rocks that were later buried and melted, which implies the presence of surficial liquid water and even land (17, 18).”
From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [18]
Earlier estimates of low temperatures (<150°C) based on oxygen isotopes may have been confounded by later contamination, but the salient message is that early Earth was covered by water.
“Earlier estimates of low temperatures (<150 • C), based on isotopic analyses of oxygen isotopes the zircons (Wilde et al. 2001), may have been confounded by later contamination of the oxygen isotopic history of the zircons (Valley et al. 2014) but the salient message is that, quite early in the history of the Earth, the planet was covered by water.”
From The Emergence of Life (2019) · cites this paper as Wilde et al. 2001
Evidence of mineral interactions with water suggests that oceans may have started to form by 4.2 Ga or possibly as early as 4.4 Ga.
“Evidence of mineral interactions with water suggest that oceans may have started to form by 4.2 Ga (Cavosie et al., 2005) or possibly as early as 4.4 Ga (Wilde et al., 2001).”
From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Wilde et al., 2001
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- Authors
- Wilde, S. A., Valley, J. W., Peck, W. H., & Graham, C. M.
- Affiliations
- Curtin University (AU)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2001-01
- Volume
- 409
- Issue
- 6817
- Pages
- 175-178
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W1615737483
- Cited by
- 1,744
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 60 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 72 · 2023: 96 · 2022: 67 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 93 · 2019: 71 · 2018: 120 · 2017: 71 · 2016: 77 · 2015: 76 · 2014: 85 · 2013: 77 · 2012: 62
- FWCI
- 57.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Keywords
- detrital zircon, Jack Hills zircons, Yilgarn Craton, early Earth crust, early oceans, zircon oxygen isotopes, granitic melts, hydrosphere, Hf isotopes, Hadean
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