Early Earth - Formation and History

Knowledge:

• Geochemical evolution of Earth during the Hadean and Archean,  from 4.6 Ga to 2.5 Ga
• Geochemistry of early Earth’s major reservoirs (core, mantle, crust) and use of (isotope-) geochemical signatures for answering specific questions regarding the reconstruction and tracing of Earth’s early evolution
• Important relevant short and long-lived isotopic tracers that contribute(d) to the temporal evolution of Earth and to the understanding of the formation and early differentiation of early Earth’s reservoirs
• Geochemistry of major meteorite classes and their relationship to the origin and evolution of the Earth and solar system
• Understanding, summarizing and presenting modern scientific research contributions that sign as benchmark studies for the formation and evolution of early Earth

Skills:

• Demonstration of an understanding of the processes that led to the Earth’s formation and its prime differentiation
• Description of the general characteristics of the different geochemical reservoirs within the Earth, and the interplays between them
• Knowledge of the chemical and mineralogical variations within the early Earth’s geochemical reservoirs in terms of geochemical processes that today operate in modern plate tectonic scenarios, lithospheric recycling and geodynamics.

 Competences:

• Ability to recite the milestones in Earth’s early evolution and to understand the processes that led to the Earth’s formation and its prime differentiation and the chronology of these events
• be familiar with the past processes that led to the structure of the Earth’s crust-mantle-core system

• describe the general characteristics of the different geochemical reservoirs within the Earth, the interplays between them, and explain these within the framework of the evolution of the planet