Hadean Eon

Hadean EON

4.6-4 billion years ago

Fun Facts

What was it like?

• The Hadean Eon was named after Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld for its Hell-like characteristics.
• The Hadean Eon is the only eon not further divided into eras.
• Hadean rocks are extremely rare, mostly consisting of zircon.
• It is the oldest segment of geologic time on our scale.

The atmosphere was extreme, with heat flow triple modern Earth's. It was characterized by molten lava, asteroid and comet impacts, and volcanoes. During this eon, the Earth's surface was very unstable. While there has been some debate, it is unliklely that life was present during the Hadeon Eon due to high temperatures; the Earth was unrecognizable and incredbly hostile.

What events occured?

We have the Hadean Eon to thank for the Moon, with the leading hypothesis being the Giant-Impact Hypothesis, which states that the Earth and another body collided, with the splatter eventually forming the Moon.

It is also likely the origin of Earth's water, which may have emerged as vapor from volcanic eruptions. It is also the leading theory that Earth's magnetic field and continental crust could have appeared during the Hadean Eon as well.

References

• Harrison, T. Mark. “Could the Hadean Eon Have Been Habitable?” Hadean Earth. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG, 2020. 217–248. Web.

• John P. Rafferty. “Hadean Eon.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online 2020: n. pag. Print.
• The Earth’s crust: AMNH. American Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/planet-earth/how-has-the-earth-evolved/the-earth-s-crust
• “The Hadean Eon.” Geochronology, Dating, and Precambrian Time : The Beginning of the World as We Know It 2011: 157–159. Print.