How to Extract Zircons from the Oldest Rocks on Earth

Описание: In summer 2024, our scientists went to northern Canada to collect some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Now back at the museum, research geologist Michael Ackerson and postdoctoral research fellow Wriju Chowdhury are processing these samples with one goal in mind: extracting zircons. These elusive crystals are some of the only remaining material from the earliest history of our planet. The chemical makeup of these tiny crystals could reveal the geochemical steps that transformed the planet into the lush biosphere that we live on today.

Learn more about the extraction process from Mike and Wriju!

#zircons #minerals