Exploration of the Earliest Crust Forming Events on Earth

这项拟议的工作使用新的仪器技术来测量钐（Sm）和铪（Hf）的短寿命和自然灭绝的放射性同位素的子体放射性核素，以了解地球早期大陆地壳的形成。这项工作将检查加拿大北部奴隶克拉通阿卡斯塔片麻岩杂岩中 38 至 4 亿年前的主岩和锆石矿物中所含的 44 亿年前的成分，该片麻岩杂岩是地球上已知最古老的岩石体。了解早期地球的形成对地球科学的广度具有广泛的影响，从推断生命起源到了解经济矿藏的形成，特别是那些仅起源于较古老地壳或地幔的矿藏（例如加拿大北部的钻石矿床）。地球分异何时导致大陆地壳形成是理解行星最高阶演化的一个基本问题。这项工作主要由一位有前途的早期职业博士后在两位 PI 的指导下完成，该机构以分析创新和卓越性以及对通常会从事高产职业的年轻地球化学家的培训而闻名。

This proposed work uses new instrumental techniques to measure daughter radionuclides of short-lived and naturally extinct radioactive isotopes of Samarium (Sm) and Hafnium (Hf) to understand formation of the Earth?s early continental crust. The work will examine 4.4 billion-year-old components contained within 3.8-4 billion-year-old host rocks and zircon minerals of the Acasta Gneiss Complex in the Slave Craton of northern Canada, the oldest known body of rock on Earth. Understanding of the formation of the early Earth has broad implications for the breadth of Earth Sciences, ranging from inferring the origin of life to understanding the formation of economic mineral deposits, especially those originating only in older Earth crust or mantle (such as the diamond deposits in northern Canada). When Earth differentiation led to the formation of continental crust is a fundamental problem in understanding planetary evolution of the highest order. The work would primarily be done by a promising, early-career post-doc under the mentorship of the two PI?s at an institution renowned for both analytical innovation and excellence as well as the training of young geochemists who have typically go on to highly productive careers.