Where is the oldest rock in the world?
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The title of "oldest rock on Earth" is a bit fluid, as new research and dating methods continue to refine our understanding. However, as of recent studies, the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt (NGB) in Quebec, Canada, is considered to hold what may be the oldest intact rocks on Earth. Recent research puRead more
The title of “oldest rock on Earth” is a bit fluid, as new research and dating methods continue to refine our understanding. However, as of recent studies, the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt (NGB) in Quebec, Canada, is considered to hold what may be the oldest intact rocks on Earth.
Recent research published in the journal Science (June 2025) has dated rocks from the NGB to at least 4.16 billion years old, placing them within the Hadean Eon, Earth’s earliest geological period. This study used two different dating techniques, and both yielded the same age, strengthening the claim.
Previously, the Acasta Gneiss Complex in the Northwest Territories, Canada, was widely recognized as containing the oldest known exposed crustal rocks, typically dated at around 4.03 billion years old.
It’s important to distinguish between the oldest rock formation and the oldest mineral. The Jack Hills zircons found in Western Australia are the oldest known mineral grains on Earth, with some dating back as far as 4.4 billion years. These tiny crystals are found embedded within younger rocks, meaning they are individual mineral remnants from a much older, now mostly destroyed, crust.
The ongoing research into these ancient rock formations in Canada is crucial for understanding the very early history of our planet, including how the Earth’s crust formed and evolved, and even the conditions that might have led to the origin of life.
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