Earth's earliest history was marked by dramatic evolutionary stages, progressing from global magma oceans to the development of a proto-lithosphere and eventually to the modern plate tectonic regime. These fundamental shifts were crucial in shaping a planet capable of sustaining life. Yet, tectonic processes, timing, and environmental conditions that governed the crustal evolution during the Archean remain poorly constrained – an uncertainty that largely stems from the limited preservation of ancient rock records. Archean cratons, however, provide a unique window into these processes.
This session will focus on new insights gained from studying Archean rocks using a blend of techniques, ranging from traditional fieldwork to high-precision drone imaging, and both established and novel in-situ analytical techniques.
We encourage submissions to this session that dive into the enigmas of Archean rocks by integrating metamorphic petrology with structural and microstructural analysis, in-situ petrochronology, thermodynamic modeling, geochemistry, geophysics, and geodynamic modeling. These techniques will facilitate the revelation of metamorphic and deformation histories, contributing new insights into the processes that influenced the early Earth.