Overview

• New study published in Science confirms primary intrusions crystallized at least 4.16 billion years ago, placing them firmly in the Hadean eon.
• Dual samarium-neodymium isotope analysis resolved a long-standing debate over whether the rocks date back to 4.3 or 3.8 billion years.
• The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt near Inukjuak is now the only known site preserving intact crust from Earth’s first geologic eon.
• Rock samples collected in 2017 from a 10-square-kilometer area underwent rigorous laboratory testing to measure radioactive decay ratios.
• Local Inuit stewards have upheld a sampling moratorium and are advancing negotiations for provincial park status to safeguard the formation.