Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt

Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt Latest News

Recently, scientists determined that rocks from the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt are approximately 4.16 billion years old, using two independent radioactive dating methods.

About Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt

• The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt is a region of ancient rock formations located on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in Quebec, Canada.
• These rocks have been known for their exceptional age and unique geological features, making the region a critical site for studies of Earth’s early history.

• This makes them potentially the oldest known rocks on Earth, challenging earlier estimates and rivalling other ancient formations like the Acasta Gneiss Complex (∼4 billion years old).

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Scientific Significance

• Researchers used radiometric dating, which tracks the decay of radioactive isotopes over time.

• Earth formed around 4.5 billion years ago, but most early rocks were destroyed or transformed due to tectonic activity and melting.
• Rocks older than 4 billion years are extremely rare and provide a window into the planet’s earliest crust.

• The rock site lies on Inuit tribal land in Inukjuak, Nunavik.
• Due to environmental damage from earlier research and reports of rock samples being sold online, the local Inuit community has restricted further sampling.
• The community, led by the Pituvik Landholding Corporation, seeks to collaborate with scientists to create a provincial park to balance research and conservation.

What are Ultramafic Rocks?

• Ultramafic rocks are dark-colored igneous or meta-igneous rocks rich in Magnesium oxide (MgO) and Iron oxide (FeO), but low in Silica. 
• They contain over 90% mafic minerals, and are poor in potassium.
• The Earth’s mantle is believed to be composed predominantly of ultramafic rock types.
• These rocks are commonly found in orogenic (mountain-forming) belts and can offer insights into mantle composition and deep Earth processes.

Source: TH