Summary:
- Researchers have utilized precise uranium-lead dating of zircon crystals to narrow down the timeline of when Earth transitioned from a molten, magma-covered surface to a cooler environment capable of supporting a crust.
- The study suggests that the Hadean eon—a period of intense asteroid bombardment and extreme heat—began to subside approximately 4.46 billion years ago, providing new insights into the conditions under which Earth's early atmosphere and oceans could have first formed.