Rocks of Ages: Telling the Time in Earth's History

It took 3.8 billion years for life to evolve from simple microbes to complex organisms that enjoy talking science over a pint. But how did we get here? Perhaps surprisingly, this biological journey seems to be intrinsically linked to the interactions between Earth’s deep solid layers and the air we breathe. In this talk, Hugo explores the vastness of deep geological time and how the onset of plate tectonics is intimately related to the rise of atmospheric oxygen, which allowed life to evolve, thrive, and eventually walk into a pub.

How do we know rocks on Earth are many millions, or even billions, of years old? Dating microscopic minerals from different geological environments can provide a window back in time, and even track the development of an ore deposit within a mountain belt. From sample collection in a remote mountain region in western Canada, to analysis via laser ablation in Portsmouth, Sarah will explain how the science of geochronology can be used to determine how old rocks are, why precise ages are important, and what we might be able to learn about how and when critical metals are deposited.

Could meteorite impacts have sheltered early life, and might they one day help propel us into the Solar System? Ari explores how giant impacts reshaped the earliest crusts of the Earth and Moon. By studying lunar samples and the vast Sudbury impact structure in Canada, they use electrons to uncover the microscopic code locked inside minerals bearing clues of catastrophe. From the formation of critical resources, to nurseries for early life, and even the foundations of future Moon bases, this is a journey through planetary destruction, creation, and the deep history that may yet shape our future.