4 ms·

I'm no geologist, but I'd guess nothing can survive anywhere near 4.6B years on this planet with weather systems.

Spare_account 5y ago
Rocks formed on earth have been dated as old as 4 billion years https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_dated_rocks https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_dated_rocks It is unusual, though, you're right.
- throwaway894345 5y ago
  Is it unusual because of weather systems or because of plate tectonics (rocks get pushed into the mantle and melted down and new ones emerge later)?
  - dredmorbius 5y ago
    Both, though plate tectonics are the ultimate limit. There's extraordinarily little primaeval crust extant on Earth. The Canadian Shield / Laurentine Plain is one of the largest, and is dated to 3.96 billion years, though the oldest is in Australia (Jack Hills region), with dates to 4.39 billion years via zircon crystals. (I believe that may geologically related to a region in southern Africa, with which it was originally joined, though cannot find a reference.) The ocean floor is virtually completely newer material, little of it over a 200 million years old (about 5% of Earth's total age), due to subduction. Continental crust is lighter, floats on top of the heavier oceanic crust, and has at least a chance of survival. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755 https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Shield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Shield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hills https://www.geologyin.com/2015/11/44-billion-year-old-zircon-is-oldest.html https://www.geologyin.com/2015/11/44-billion-year-old-zircon... https://www.geologyin.com/2016/03/the-oldest-mountain-on-earth.html?m=1 https://www.geologyin.com/2016/03/the-oldest-mountain-on-ear...
    - dredmorbius 5y ago
      The oldest seafloor happens to be that of the Mediterranean, dating to about 280 million years ago. Again, that's trifling compared to the oldest land formations. The Medeterranian is all that remains of the Tethys Ocean. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755 https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755
mordnis 5y ago
Erosion?
- vardump 5y ago
  I was also thinking about the presumed collision with the planet that gave birth to moon. Astoundingly there are apparently still ways for some of the rocks to survive all this maelstrom. Mind boggling.
senectus1 5y ago
I don't think they're saying its been here for that long, just that it was formed in space before the earth was... it arrived on earth much later having spent its time touring the solar system.

Rocks formed on earth have been dated as old as 4 billion years https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_dated_rocks https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_dated_rocks It is unusual, though, you're right.

throwaway894345 5y ago
Is it unusual because of weather systems or because of plate tectonics (rocks get pushed into the mantle and melted down and new ones emerge later)?
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  Both, though plate tectonics are the ultimate limit. There's extraordinarily little primaeval crust extant on Earth. The Canadian Shield / Laurentine Plain is one of the largest, and is dated to 3.96 billion years, though the oldest is in Australia (Jack Hills region), with dates to 4.39 billion years via zircon crystals. (I believe that may geologically related to a region in southern Africa, with which it was originally joined, though cannot find a reference.) The ocean floor is virtually completely newer material, little of it over a 200 million years old (about 5% of Earth's total age), due to subduction. Continental crust is lighter, floats on top of the heavier oceanic crust, and has at least a chance of survival. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755 https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Shield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Shield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hills https://www.geologyin.com/2015/11/44-billion-year-old-zircon-is-oldest.html https://www.geologyin.com/2015/11/44-billion-year-old-zircon... https://www.geologyin.com/2016/03/the-oldest-mountain-on-earth.html?m=1 https://www.geologyin.com/2016/03/the-oldest-mountain-on-ear...
  - dredmorbius 5y ago
    The oldest seafloor happens to be that of the Mediterranean, dating to about 280 million years ago. Again, that's trifling compared to the oldest land formations. The Medeterranian is all that remains of the Tethys Ocean. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755 https://www.thoughtco.com/how-old-is-the-ocean-floor-3960755

mordnis 5y ago

Erosion?

vardump 5y ago
I was also thinking about the presumed collision with the planet that gave birth to moon. Astoundingly there are apparently still ways for some of the rocks to survive all this maelstrom. Mind boggling.

senectus1 5y ago

I don't think they're saying its been here for that long, just that it was formed in space before the earth was... it arrived on earth much later having spent its time touring the solar system.