Recent studies suggest Earth’s continents formed billions of years earlier than previously thought. A study published in Nature Communications reveals evidence of active tectonic processes during the ...

The Nature Index 2025 Research Leaders — previously known as Annual Tables — reveal the leading institutions and countries/territories in the natural and health sciences, according to their output in ...

From the wild coasts of Québec to the dusty hills of Western Australia, scientists are chasing the oldest rocks on Earth to unlock our planet’s earliest secrets. These ancient survivors—some over 4 ...

New research sheds light on the earliest days of the earth's formation and potentially calls into question some earlier assumptions in planetary science about the early years of rocky planets.

Researchers say they might have discovered the oldest rocks on Earth. The rocks in question are a belt of swirly, stripe-covered rocks found in the northeastern reaches of Canada. These rocks appear ...

An artistic reconstruction of Earth during the Hadean eon (~4.5 billion years ago). Intense volcanic activity, heat from accretion, and frequent impacts kept the young Earth in a molten state. This ...

Intro -- Preface -- References -- Contents -- 1 Why Hadean? -- Abstract -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Organization of This Book -- 1.2.1 A Brief Overview -- 1.2.2 Chapter Themes -- 1.3 Defining the ...

Our Earth is about 4.5 billion years old and, through careful work, scientists have pieced together a timeline of its past. But much of its earliest history remains a mystery. Scant geological ...