The Archean Earth

The Archean Earth: Tempos and Events, Second Edition is a process-based reference book that focuses on the most important events in early Earth, bringing together experts across Earth Sciences to give a comprehensive overview of the main events of the Archean Eon, as well as of the rates at which important geological and geobiological processes occurred in the same time interval. Over the last two decades, significant progress has been made in our understanding of the processes and events on the early Earth corresponding to advances in the analytical technologies and the continuing efforts of many colleagues that pursue their passion of unravelling the Archean rock record. The book addresses the origin of the Earth, succeeding impact events, and the evolution of the early Earth, covering topics such as Archean tectonics, volcanism, generation of continental crust, and the ongoing debate about the onset of plate tectonics; the evolution and models for Earth's hydrosphere and atmosphere; the Archean atmosphere and chemical sedimentation; and sedimentation through Archean time; among others. Each topic is well-illustrated and includes a closing commentary at the end of each chapter, leading up to the final chapter which blends the major geological events and rates at which important processes occurred into a synthesis, postulating a number of "event clusters" in the Archean when significant changes occurred in many natural systems and geological environments

- Provides a comprehensive introduction and overview on early Earth, highlighting the Archean Eon in the context of the larger time scales
- Presents detailed descriptions of the main processes, events, and rates that occurred throughout the Archean
- Offers an assessment of the first habitable environments, the preserved morphological and geochemical traces of early life, and the impact it had on Earth's biogeochemical cycles