Early Earth and Biosignatures

Created 25.01.2011 - 14.56
Last updated 25.09.2014 - 16.24

Research in the Early Earth and Biosignatures group centres around how the early Earth evolved, how it worked and how it supported early life. The group employs an interdisciplinary approach to addressing outstanding questions related to early volcanism, geodynamics, biogeochemical cycles and the evidence for life on early Earth and potentially other rocky planets. We aim to understand the formation of the earliest continental and oceanic lithosphere and early biosphere-ocean-atmosphere processes. 

Early Earth and Biosignatures scientists:

Nicola McLoughlin (Theme Leader)
Eugene Grosch
Yuangao Qu
Leif Erik Pedersen
Karen Cecilia Johannesen

Early earth

An artists reconstruction of the earth c. 3.5 billion years ago, we want to...
An artists reconstruction of the earth c. 3.5 billion years ago, we want to know: was it really like this? source: Smithsonian
Copyright: 
CGB
  • About Early Earth and Biosignatures

    Our group is interested in characterizing Early Earth environments also when, where and how life emerged. We aim to reconstruct the environmental and geodynamic controls on the emerging microbial biosphere and to develop new textural and geochemical indicators (so-called biosignatures) of past life. Research focuses on drill core and surface samples from the Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB) of South Africa. This theme is divided into 3 sub-themes described below, all of which have astrobiological implications.

  • Research Overview

    See what projects the Early Earth and Biosignatures theme is working on now! (Updated June 2014)

  • Theme Goals and Methods

    The Early Earth and Biosignatures group focusses on understanding early Earth evolution and the search for the earliest traces of life in a range of Archean environments. The group is also working on field sites in the Barberton greenstone belt that can be used to understand habitability on the early Earth. Key questions, objectives and methods used by the team concerning the early biosphere and geodynamic processes are outlined below.

  • Astrobiology

    Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Research on early Earth environments and the earliest traces of life is central to understanding how life emerged and evolved on our young planet. Using early Earth as an astrobiological baseline, we can extrapolate and explore the concept of habitability on other rocky planets in our solar system and beyond.