Mesoarchaean

third era of the Archean eon

The Mesoarchaean (Mesoarchean) is the third geological era in the Archaean eon. It began 3.2 billion years ago, and ended 2.8 billion years ago.[1] Before the Mesoarchaean era was the Palaeoarchaean era. After the Mesoarchaean era was the Neoarchaean.

Fossils from Australia show that stromatolites have lived on Earth since the Mesoarchaean. The Pongola glaciation occurred 2.9 billion years ago.[2] The first supercontinent Vaalbara broke up during this time, around 3.2 billion years ago. The second supercontinent Ur existed during this era, 3.1 billion years ago.

References change

  1. http://www.stratigraphy.org/ICSchart/ChronostratChart2013-01.pdf
  2. Robert E. Kopp, Joseph L. Kirschvink, Isaac A. Hilburn, and Cody Z. Nash (2005). "The Paleoproterozoic snowball Earth: A climate disaster triggered by the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102 (32): 11131–6. Bibcode:2005PNAS..10211131K. doi:10.1073/pnas.0504878102. PMC 1183582. PMID 16061801.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)