Sign in
Deep TimeCosmos & Earth

Oldest known minerals (Jack Hills zircons)

4.4 billion years agoNotable

Tiny zircon crystals from Western Australia date to about 4.4 billion years ago. Their chemistry suggests Earth had a solid crust and possibly liquid water very early.

Community notes

Loading notes…

Learn more ranked by votes

BookRichard Fortey
Earth: An Intimate History ↗
Editor's pick
VideoSearch on YouTube
Jack Hills zircon oldest Earth crust ↗
Editor's pick