ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid SystemsThe Early Earth and its Fluid Budget
This theme focuses on the nature of Earth's early differentiation and the role of fluids in it.
Ancient ( >3 Ga) rocks may yield evidence for early life, and analysing the mass-independent fractionation of Fe and S isotopes will allow us to test the involvement of biological processes in ancient deposits.
The earliest record of Earth's magnetic field will provide new information on when the core's geodynamo formed and the geometry and intensity of its field, and will be used to track the movement of Archean tectonic plates. The geochemical nature and dynamic behaviour of the mantle in the early Earth will be assessed using in situ analysis of targeted minerals from a variety of mantle rock types and tectonic environments, coupled with dynamic modelling.