冥古宙是地球上最老的一个地质历史时期,由于缺少可靠的岩石记录一直没有得到国际地学界的重视和承认,到2004年才在建议的国际地层表中使用了冥古宙这一术语,定义从地球形成到出现地球最老岩石这段地球历史。但冥古宙与太古宙没有明确的地质界线,一些研究者提出了不同的年代界线(3.85Ga,4.0Ga,4.03Ga),目前还存在较大分歧。目前已知残存的冥古宙岩石只有两处,一处是加拿大的阿卡斯塔片麻岩(Acastagneiss)中两个英云闪长岩和一个变质花岗闪长岩。前者锆石UPb年龄为4002±4Ma和4012±6Ma,后者为4031±1Ma。另一处是东南极索尼山(MountSones)的麻粒岩相英云闪长质片麻岩,已获得UPb年龄为3927±10Ma。世界上最老的表壳岩(≥3870Ma)出露在格陵兰。冥古宙年代久远,地球形成最初的600~700Ma的初始岩石经历了陨石撞击、地壳再循环、重熔等改造,甚至再循环到地幔,几乎已经消失殆尽。目前主要以年轻岩石中的碎屑锆石或继承锆石作为桥梁,来追索这些古老锆石原来母岩的类型、特征及成因。〉3800Ma的碎屑锆石已在全球十多个地区发现,而以西澳伊尔岗克拉通的杰克山最多最全,从〉3800Ma到4404Ma都有,在3840Ma,3900~3920Ma,4000~4200Ma,4260~4300Ma和4404Ma显示峰值,其中以3900~4200Ma最为发育,4404Ma是目前世界公认的最老碎屑锆石。此外在北美克拉通、南非克拉通、华北克拉通等古老克拉通以及一些年轻造山带中都发现有冥古宙的碎屑锆石,这些锆石是追索冥古宙地质事件的重要桥梁。通过对冥古宙碎屑锆石的研究提出了很多值得重视和进一步研究的课题和内容。包括早期地壳的性质,一些锆石具有与太古宙之后岩浆锆石特征相似的环带结构,因此这些碎屑锆石的母岩大部分被认为相当花岗质,来自老地壳的重熔。冥古宙碎屑锆石的Hf同位素?
Hadean is the oldest period of the Earth history, but it doesn’t get enough attention or recognition from the worldwide geologists due to the lack of reliable rock records. The term Hadean, which is used to define the period from the formation of the Earth to the appearance of the oldest rocks, was used in the suggested International Geological Time Scale in 2004AD. At present, the boundary of Hadean and Archaean is not definite. Geologists have different opinions on it (3.85Ga, 4.0Ga, 4.03Ga).Now, the Hadean rocks are discovered in two places of the world. One is Acasta, Canadia, where two tonalities and one metamorphic granodiorite were found. The zircon U Pb ages of the former are 4002±4Ma and 4012±6Ma while the later is 4031±1Ma. Another place is Mount Sones, East Antarctia, where granulite faces tonalitic gneiss was found and its U Pb age is 3927±10Ma. The oldest supracrustal rock(≥3870Ma) of the World was found in Greenland.In the antique Hadean, the rocks, formed in the earliest 600-700 Ma. of the Earth history, experienced meteorite impact, crust recirculation and remelting, had disappeared mostly. At present, the Hadean is mainly recorded in the detrital or inherited zircons of the late rocks.〉3800Ma detrital zircons have been found in more than ten areas in the world. The Jack Hills in Yilgarn Craton, western Australia, is the place which has the complete time spectrum of zircons. The ages of zircons in Jack hill are between 3800-4404Ma (most of them are between 3900-4200Ma) and the peak ages are 3840Ma, 3900-3920Ma, 4000-4200Ma, 4260-4300Ma, 4404Ma. Up to now, the accepted oldest detrital zircon age is 4404Ma. In addition, the Hadean detrital zircons are found in North America Craton, South Africa Craton, North China Craton and some young orogenic belts. These zircons are important media to study the Hadean geological events.According to studying on the Hadean detrital zircons, researchers raise many valuable questions that are worthy of further study. The first is the nature of t