Latest news with #Paleoproterozoic
Forbes
31-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Rocks Date Onset Of Modern Plate Tectonics To 2 Billion Years
When plate tectonics first emerged on Earth is still debated. Some models suggest that Earth at first possessed a single protoplate covering the entire planet. This protoplate eventually broke open, the fragments forming tectonic plates. Other models suggest plate tectonics may have evolved gradually over billions of years. A new study, Xiaoli Li and colleagues from the Earth and Space Sciences Department, Peking University, published evidence from the petrologic record suggesting that the modern style plate tectonics begun in the Paleoproterozoic — over 1.6 billion years ago. The team analyzed eclogites from the Belomorian Province in Baltica. Eclogite is a metamorphic rock containing red almandine-pyrope garnet hosted in a matrix of green omphacite (a sodium-rich pyroxene). Eclogites typically results from high to ultrahigh pressure metamorphism of basaltic lava at low thermal gradients as it is subducted to the lower crust to upper mantle depths in a subduction zone. Subduction zones, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another plate, are a key element of modern plate tectonics. Radiometric dating of the rocks revealed an age around 2 and 1.8 billion years ago, making them the oldest known subduction eclogites. The protolith, the original lava rock, is even older with an age ranging between 2.7 and 2.5 billion years. The eclogite from Baltica shows some chemical similarities to 'modern' eclogite, formed just 65 million years ago, from the Himalayas. The Himalaya orogen formed when the former ocean between Asia and India was subducted, and remains of oceanic crust and continental fragments were uplifted by the collision. The authors suggest that in a similar way the eclogite from Baltica demonstrates the existence of a mountain range, comparable to the Himalaya range, on the supercontinent Columbia over two billion years ago. Plate tectonics has, so far, only been observed on Earth, and may be essential to making a world hospitable for life by constantly remixing and renewing the outer layers of the planet. The new results, together with previous research, suggests that something happened around 3.8 to 2 billion years ago, with Earth switching from a single plate towards plate tectonics and changing its geological evolution forever. The study,"Orosirian cold eclogite from Baltica marks the onset of modern plate tectonics," was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ARYA RESOURCES LTD. (RBZ) Arya Expands Exploration Portfolio With 38,926-Acre Strategic Gold Claims Acquisition Adjacent to Ramp Gold Discovery in Saskatchewan, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 21, 2025) - Arya Resources Ltd. (TSXV: RBZ) ("Arya" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a legally binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire a 100% interest in a highly prospective claim block directly adjacent to the northeast of Ramp Metals' property in the Rottenstone Domain, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Transaction Highlights: Strategic Land Position: The acquisition includes 38,926 acres (15,753 hectares) strategically located to capture the up-dip projection of the geological unit that hosts Ramp Metals' 2024 gold discovery. First-Mover Advantage: The claims are the first ground staked immediately contiguous to Ramp Metals following their announcement in June 2024—nearly 800,000 hectares have since been staked in what has become the province's largest staking rush in recent history (See Claim Map). Highly Prospective Geology: The Ramp East Claims encompass a large portion of the gold-bearing Quartz-Diorite unit—the same host rock where Ramp Metals made its discovery. This unit remains significantly underexplored, presenting a compelling opportunity for discovery-driven value creation. Untapped Structural Target: The claims also include a major NE-SW trending deep-rooted structure—the Howard Lake Shear Zone—which has seen little to no historical gold exploration and may represent a high-potential structural corridor. A New Frontier for Gold in the Rottenstone Domain While early staking in the area focused on Paleoproterozoic ultramafic rocks targeting massive sulphides, it was ultimately the Quartz Diorite intrusive body that hosted gold mineralization at Ramp, according to Ramp Metals' Q3 2024 Presentation; there is strong evidence to suggest that this same unit may daylight within Arya's newly optioned Ramp East claim block. This acquisition expands Arya's regional exploration footprint and complements the Company's Wedge Lake Gold Project, about 60 kilometers away, located in the prolific La Ronge Gold Belt—a belt historically known for multiple past-producing and active gold mines. The Company plans to drill the Wedge Lake soon. Arya is now positioned to test whether the Rottenstone Domain, long considered a base-metal district, can mirror the gold-rich nature of the La Ronge Belt to the west. Transaction Terms Arya will earn a 100% interest in the property by: Paying $100,000 in cash over a 24-month period Issuing 1.5 million shares over a 24-month period Granting a 2.0% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty, of which 1.5% is purchasable at any time for $1.5 million Claim Map To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Kevin Wells, a Qualified Person (QP) as per NI43-101 3.1, has approved the technical and scientific content of this release. Disclaimer: The technical and scientific information disclosed from neighboring properties does not necessarily apply to the current project or property being disclosed. About the Company Arya Resources Ltd (TSXV: RBZ) is a tier-2 listed mining and mineral exploration Company. The Company is focused on acquiring, exploring and development of precious metals and energy metals including Gold, Silver, Copper, Nickel and Cobalt in stable jurisdictions. On behalf of the Board of Directors: Rasool Mohammad, CEOEmail: rasool@ (604) 868-7737https:// Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release includes "forward-looking statements" that are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including without limitation any statements concerning the Company's intentions, plans, estimates, expectations or beliefs. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. The Company cautions readers that all forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are based on assumptions, none of which can be assured, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Times
01-05-2025
- Science
- Times
Virginia Giuffre's last home was a retreat from the torment
Drive north from Perth, Western Australia, and after roughly two hours you reach the Pinnacles — eerie, mysterious limestone formations within the remote Nambung National Park. They rise up from the desert landscape, some as high as 11ft. There are several theories about how they evolved but not one agreed explanation and because they are only around 30,000 years old, no geologist is interested. There's a lot of sniffy ageism in the geology field, I was informed. Unless a rock was around in the Paleoproterozoic era it's considered a Johnny-come-lately and nobody gives a stuff. So the secret of the Pinnacles remains unresolved. You can drive around them, though, and star watch at night and it feels very otherworldly and lunar. On the way there
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Earth's oceans used to be green — and could one day turn purple, scientists say
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Nearly three fourths of Earth is covered by oceans, making the planet look like a pale blue dot from space. But Japanese researchers have made a compelling case that Earth's oceans were once green, in a study published in Nature. The reason Earth's oceans may have looked different in the ancient past is to do with their chemistry and the evolution of photosynthesis. As a geology undergraduate student, I was taught about the importance of a type of rock deposit known as the banded iron formation in recording the planet's history. Banded iron formations were deposited in the Archean and Paleoproterozoic eons, roughly between 3.8 and 1.8 billion years ago. Life back then was confined to one cell organisms in the oceans. The continents were a barren landscape of grey, brown and black rocks and sediments. Rain falling on continental rocks dissolved iron which was then carried to the oceans by rivers. Other sources of iron were volcanoes on the ocean floor. This iron will become important later. The Archaean eon was a time when Earth's atmosphere and ocean were devoid of gaseous oxygen, but also when the first organisms to generate energy from sunlight evolved. These organisms used anaerobic photosynthesis, meaning they can do photosynthesis in the absence of oxygen. It triggered important changes as a byproduct of anaerobic photosynthesis is oxygen gas. Oxygen gas bound to iron in seawater. Oxygen only existed as a gas in the atmosphere once the seawater iron could neutralize no more oxygen. Eventually, early photosynthesis led to the "great oxidation event", a major ecological turning point that made complex life on Earth possible. It marked the transition from a largely oxygen free Earth to one with large amounts of oxygen in the ocean and atmosphere. The "bands" of different colors in banded iron formations record this shift with an alternation between deposits of iron deposited in the absence of oxygen and red oxidized iron. The recent paper's case for green oceans in the Archaean eon starts with an observation: waters around the Japanese volcanic island of Iwo Jima have a greenish hue linked to a form of oxidized iron - Fe(III). Blue-green algae thrive in the green waters surrounding the island. Despite their name, blue-green algae are primitive bacteria and not true algae. In the Archaean eon, the ancestors of modern blue-green algae evolved alongside other bacteria that use ferrous iron instead of water as the source of electrons for photosynthesis. This points to high levels of iron in the ocean. Photosynthetic organisms use pigments (mostly chlorophyll) in their cells to transform CO₂ into sugars using the energy of the sun. Chlorophyll gives plants their green color. Blue-green algae are peculiar because they carry the common chlorophyll pigment, but also a second pigment called phycoerythrobilin (PEB). In their paper, the researchers found that genetically engineered modern blue-green algae with PEB grow better in green waters. Although chlorophyll is great for photosynthesis in the spectra of light visible to us, PEB seems to be superior in green-light conditions. Before the rise of photosynthesis and oxygen, Earth's oceans contained dissolved reduced iron (iron deposited in the absence of oxygen). Oxygen released by the rise of photosynthesis in the Archean eon then led to oxidized iron in seawater. The paper's computer simulations also found oxygen released by early photosynthesis led to a high enough concentration of oxidized iron particles to turn the surface water green. Once all iron in the ocean was oxidized, free oxygen (0₂) existed in Earth's oceans and atmosphere. So a major implication of the study is that pale-green dot worlds viewed from space are good candidate planets to harbour early photosynthetic life. Related: A mysterious 'black hole' in Pacific Ocean that sparked wild rumors online The changes in ocean chemistry were gradual. The Archaean period lasted 1.5 billion years. This is more than half of Earth's history. By comparison, the entire history of the rise and evolution of complex life represents about an eighth of Earth's history. Almost certainly, the color of the oceans changed gradually during this period and potentially oscillated. This could explain why blue-green algae evolved both forms of photosynthetic pigments. Chlorophyll is best for white light which is the type of sunlight we have today. Taking advantage of green and white light would have been an evolutionary advantage. The lesson from the recent Japanese paper is that the color of our oceans are linked to water chemistry and the influence of life. We can imagine different ocean colors without borrowing too much from science fiction. Purple oceans would be possible on Earth if the levels of sulphur were high. This could be linked to intense volcanic activity and low oxygen content in the atmosphere, which would lead to the dominance of purple sulphur bacteria. Red oceans are also theoretically possible under intense tropical climates when red oxidized iron forms from the decay of rocks on the land and is carried to the oceans by rivers or winds. Or if a type of algae linked to "red tides" came to dominate the surface oceans. These red algae are common in areas with intense concentration of fertilizer such as nitrogen. In the modern oceans, this tends to happen in coastline close to sewers. RELATED STORIES —Picturesque plankton paint peculiar patterns in Patagonia —Logic-defying 'bottom blooms' could sustain hidden ecosystems in Arctic and Antarctica —Billion-year-old green algae is an ancestor of all plants on Earth As our sun ages, it will first become brighter leading to increased surface evaporation and intense UV light. This may favor purple sulphur bacteria living in deep waters without oxygen. It will lead to more purple, brown, or green hues in coastal or stratified areas, with less deep blue color in water as phytoplankton decline. Eventually, oceans will evaporate completely as the sun expands to encompass the orbit of Earth. At geological timescales nothing is permanent and changes in the color of our oceans are therefore inevitable. This edited article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
