The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon Revisited
A preliminary list of plausible near-surface minerals present during Earth’s Hadean Eon (>4.0 Ga) should be expanded to include: (1) phases that might have formed by precipitation of organic crystals prior to the rise of predation by cellular life; (2) minerals associated with large...
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doaj-507d5548c8bd4d57882574626f8d0cbb2020-11-24T20:44:37ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292018-12-01846410.3390/life8040064life8040064The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon RevisitedShaunna M. Morrison0Simone E. Runyon1Robert M. Hazen2Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USAGeophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USAGeophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USAA preliminary list of plausible near-surface minerals present during Earth’s Hadean Eon (>4.0 Ga) should be expanded to include: (1) phases that might have formed by precipitation of organic crystals prior to the rise of predation by cellular life; (2) minerals associated with large bolide impacts, especially through the generation of hydrothermal systems in circumferential fracture zones; and (3) local formation of minerals with relatively oxidized transition metals through abiological redox processes, such as photo-oxidation. Additional mineral diversity arises from the occurrence of some mineral species that form more than one ‘natural kind’, each with distinct chemical and morphological characteristics that arise by different paragenetic processes. Rare minerals, for example those containing essential B, Mo, or P, are not necessary for the origins of life. Rather, many common minerals incorporate those and other elements as trace and minor constituents. A rich variety of chemically reactive sites were thus available at the exposed surfaces of common Hadean rock-forming minerals.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/8/4/64mineral evolutionphoto-oxidationimpactspaleomineralogyHadean Eon |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Shaunna M. Morrison Simone E. Runyon Robert M. Hazen |
spellingShingle |
Shaunna M. Morrison Simone E. Runyon Robert M. Hazen The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon Revisited Life mineral evolution photo-oxidation impacts paleomineralogy Hadean Eon |
author_facet |
Shaunna M. Morrison Simone E. Runyon Robert M. Hazen |
author_sort |
Shaunna M. Morrison |
title |
The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon Revisited |
title_short |
The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon Revisited |
title_full |
The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon Revisited |
title_fullStr |
The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon Revisited |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon Revisited |
title_sort |
paleomineralogy of the hadean eon revisited |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Life |
issn |
2075-1729 |
publishDate |
2018-12-01 |
description |
A preliminary list of plausible near-surface minerals present during Earth’s Hadean Eon (>4.0 Ga) should be expanded to include: (1) phases that might have formed by precipitation of organic crystals prior to the rise of predation by cellular life; (2) minerals associated with large bolide impacts, especially through the generation of hydrothermal systems in circumferential fracture zones; and (3) local formation of minerals with relatively oxidized transition metals through abiological redox processes, such as photo-oxidation. Additional mineral diversity arises from the occurrence of some mineral species that form more than one ‘natural kind’, each with distinct chemical and morphological characteristics that arise by different paragenetic processes. Rare minerals, for example those containing essential B, Mo, or P, are not necessary for the origins of life. Rather, many common minerals incorporate those and other elements as trace and minor constituents. A rich variety of chemically reactive sites were thus available at the exposed surfaces of common Hadean rock-forming minerals. |
topic |
mineral evolution photo-oxidation impacts paleomineralogy Hadean Eon |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/8/4/64 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT shaunnammorrison thepaleomineralogyofthehadeaneonrevisited AT simoneerunyon thepaleomineralogyofthehadeaneonrevisited AT robertmhazen thepaleomineralogyofthehadeaneonrevisited AT shaunnammorrison paleomineralogyofthehadeaneonrevisited AT simoneerunyon paleomineralogyofthehadeaneonrevisited AT robertmhazen paleomineralogyofthehadeaneonrevisited |
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1716816757472100352 |