How did Earth's early continental crust form? Insights from Western Australian cratons

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The formation of Earth's first continents during the Archean eon is one of the major transformations that our planet has experienced throughout its history. Continent formation had a profound effect on the composition of both the Earth's surface, by kick-starting the release of elements necessary for the development of life in the oceans, and on the compositional evolution Earth's mantle. However, despite the crucial role of continental landmasses in Earth's evolution, the processes and geodynamic context in which they were formed and how these evolved during the Archean remain hotly debated. The granitoids forming the core of Earth's earliest continents hold the clues to resolving this debate. In this PhD project, the student will investigate the genesis of these granites using a set of novel, purpose-designed petrological and isotopic tools to test different models of continent formation.