Exploring Evidence of Early Earth's History

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What kinds of things do scientists study to learn about the history of the planet?

★Geologic Record

The history of Earth, recorded in the layers of rock that make up the Earth's crust.

Observations and analysis of data from rocks!

"Erased" due to the moving of tectonic plates and geological processes like those you see here.

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Earth's Earliest Rocks

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If Earth's earliest rocks have been "erased," where else can we look to find clues, or evidence, about Early Earth?

How do scientists learn about events in Earth's history that occurred before the crust solidified, or even before the Earth formed?

Where does the information about the formation and early history of Earth come from?

Let's watch a video

Reorder

Reorder the following

• Spinning Cloud of Dust

• Birth of Sun

• Colliding Asteroids

• Colliding Asteroids Grow into Planets

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★Hadean Eon

Geologic time period when the Earth and other planets of the solar system formed.

4.6 - 4 billion years ago (bya)

The Hadean eon occurred prior to the rock record.


Since rocks are scientists' main tool for studying Earth's past, studying the Hadean eon is especially difficult.


Scientists rely on evidence from other solar system objects and computer simulations and models.

Over the next few days, we're going to make a timeline as a class!

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Timeline of the Hadean Eon

Reorder

Reorder the following

• Solar System Begins to Form

• A Proto-Sun Formed

• Asteroids and Planetesimals

• The Late Heavy Bombardment

• Traces of Early Life

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