Overview

• Researchers found evidence of freshwater in 4-billion-year-old zircon crystals from Western Australia's Jack Hills.
• This discovery pushes back the timeline for Earth's hydrological cycle by 500 million years.
• The findings imply that landmasses and freshwater existed much earlier than previously thought.
• The presence of freshwater suggests conditions for life could have emerged shortly after Earth's formation.
• The study used oxygen isotope analysis to identify the light isotopic signatures indicative of freshwater.