This book presents an integrated approach to the study of the evolution of the Archean lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere, and as such it is a unique contribution to our understanding of the early Earth and life. The structural and geochemical make-up of both the oceanic and continental crust of the Archean Earth is documented in some case studies of various cratons, and the implications of the Phanerozoic plate and plume tectonic processes for the Archean geology are discussed in several chapters in the book. All chapters are process-oriented and data-rich, and reflect the most recent knowledge and information on the Archean Earth. The interdisciplinary approach of examining the evolution of the Archean crust, oceans, and life that we adopt in this book sets it apart from previous publications on Precambrian geology.
The book will be attractive to researchers in academia and in industry, and to senior undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty in earth and natural sciences.
This book presents an integrated approach to the study of the evolution of the Archaean lithosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. It features process-oriented and data-rich chapters that detail the most recent knowledge and information on the Archean Earth.
Preface; Y. Dilek and H. Furnes
Precambrian Greenstone Belts Host Different Ophiolite Types; H. Furnes; M. de Wit & Y. Dilek
The Plume to Plate Transition: Hadean and Archean Crustal Evolution in the Northern Wyoming Province, U.S.A.; P. A. Mueller et al
The Archaean Karelia and Belomorian Provinces, Fennoscandian Shield; P. H?ltt? et al
Archaean elements of the basement outliers west of the Scandinavian Caledonides in Northern Norway: architecture, evolution and possible lC,