The Hadean Eon — The solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a condensed nebula, and with it our planet Earth, which was a ball of magma that eventually cooled to what we have today.

Welcome to an exhilarating journey through the vast chronicles of Earth’s geological history! Our planet has witnessed an incredible array of events, from the fiery beginnings to the rise of life and ...

During the Hadean eon, Earth was a world of constant impacts, molten rock, and a toxic atmosphere. The surface was repeatedly melted by asteroid strikes while intense heat escaped from the planet’s ...

Parts of the ancient Earth may have formed continents and recycled crust through subduction far earlier than previously thought. New research led by scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison ...

Stephen has degrees in science (Physics major) and arts (English Literature and the History and Philosophy of Science), as well as a Graduate Diploma in Science Communication. Stephen has degrees in ...

The Hadean is the earliest eon in Earth’s geologic history, spanning from the planet’s formation about 4.56 billion years ago to roughly 4.0 billion years ago. It is characterized by accretion from ...

Scientists have uncovered evidence that all life on Earth—humans, whales, bacteria, everything—traces back to a single ancestor that lived far earlier than previously believed. New findings published ...

Olivine cumulate from the Weltevreden Formation showing that although these cumulates are significantly altered, they still contain preserved unaltered olivine cores (microscopic image taken in ...

Long before continents, oceans, or life Earth was a molten inferno. The Hadean Eon (4.6 to 4.0 billion years ago) was a time of endless meteor impacts, volcanic seas, and a choking atmosphere. This ...

New research reveals Earth's continents began forming much earlier than once believed, based on ancient crystal chemistry and groundbreaking geodynamic models. Recent studies suggest Earth’s ...

An artistic reconstruction of Earth during the Hadean eon (~4.5 billion years ago). Intense volcanic activity, heat from accretion, and frequent impacts kept the young Earth in a molten state. This ...