Hadean zircon
Okay kiddo, let me try to explain what a Hadean zircon is.
First, let's start with what zircon is - it's a type of mineral that is found in rocks. Zircon has been around for a very long time, even before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. In fact, some zircon crystals are over 4 billion years old!
Now, the Hadean Eon was a time period on Earth that lasted from about 4.6 billion years ago to 4 billion years ago. During this time, Earth was still forming and there were a lot of big things happening like volcanoes erupting and meteors hitting the planet.
Hadean zircons are special because they were formed during this time period. Scientists study these zircons to learn more about what Earth was like when it first formed. By looking at the chemical makeup of the zircon, they can figure out things like the temperature of the magma that the zircon formed from and how much water was present when it formed.
It's kind of like looking at old pictures of your parents and grandparents when they were babies to see what they were like when they were young. Hadean zircons give us a glimpse into what Earth was like when it was just a baby planet!
First, let's start with what zircon is - it's a type of mineral that is found in rocks. Zircon has been around for a very long time, even before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. In fact, some zircon crystals are over 4 billion years old!
Now, the Hadean Eon was a time period on Earth that lasted from about 4.6 billion years ago to 4 billion years ago. During this time, Earth was still forming and there were a lot of big things happening like volcanoes erupting and meteors hitting the planet.
Hadean zircons are special because they were formed during this time period. Scientists study these zircons to learn more about what Earth was like when it first formed. By looking at the chemical makeup of the zircon, they can figure out things like the temperature of the magma that the zircon formed from and how much water was present when it formed.
It's kind of like looking at old pictures of your parents and grandparents when they were babies to see what they were like when they were young. Hadean zircons give us a glimpse into what Earth was like when it was just a baby planet!