Seven proposals recently funded by the National Science Foundation will ensure more access to laboratories that specialize in geochronology.
early Earth
Tiny Algae May Have Prompted a Mass Extinction
Dead algae sinking to the ocean floor may have sequestered carbon 445 million years ago, triggering the glaciation that accompanied the Late Ordovician mass extinction.
Cobalt Key to Development of Early Life on Earth
Cobalt may have played in important role in the early development of life on Earth, and been more available to ancient life than modern due to the higher mafic composition of early continents.
Archean Rocks in the Acasta Gneiss Complex
Studying Archean-age gneissic and schistic rocks in northwestern Canada, researchers determined that the source of these rocks formed 4.3 billion years ago.
