Hadean Eon - Earth Discover

This image relates to the interdisciplinary study of life's origin and evolution on Earth, encompassing fields such as astronomy, astrophysics, biology, chemistry, and geology.

c. 3.8 Billion BCE: The Origins of Life on Earth – A Chemical Story

Explores the enigmatic origins of life on Earth, emphasizing chemical evidence over fossils, and discusses how unique isotopic patterns in ancient rocks hint at early life forms. It also covers the potential impact of the [...]

This image shows the San Andreas fault in southern California, a well-known boundary between two of Earth's lithospheric plates: the Pacific and North American plates.

c. 4-3 Billion BCE: The Rise of Plate Tectonics – Shaping Earth’s Landscape

Examines the emergence of plate tectonics during the Hadean and Archean eons, detailing the transformation of Earth's crust and mantle, the formation of continents, and the division of the lithosphere and asthenosphere, leading to the [...]

This artist's concept illustrates Earth at the transition from the Hadean to the Archean eon, depicting the time when liquid-water seas and oceans first stabilized on the surface. The image also shows large impact basins, similar to those on the Moon, indicating ongoing bombardment by asteroids and comets.

c. 4 Billion BCE: The Genesis of Earth’s Oceans – From the Hadean Eon to the Present

Explores the formation of Earth's oceans, tracing back to the Hadean eon's volcanic eruptions and gas emissions. It discusses how water transitioned from steam to liquid, the potential internal and external sources of water, and [...]

An artist's depiction of the Hadean Earth, with the Moon appearing significantly larger in the sky due to its closer proximity to our planet at that time.

c. 4.5-4 Billion BCE: Exploring the Hadean Eon – Earth’s Earliest and Most Volatile Era

Provides a vivid portrayal of the Hadean eon, a time of intense volcanic and impact activity that shaped the early Earth, and highlights how extraterrestrial bodies help us understand this barely recognizable era.