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The Ninetyeast Ridge stretches 5000 km along the 90-degree east longitude in the Indian Ocean and is the world's longest straight underwater mountain belt. Hugo Olierook is a co-author on a new paper in Nature Communications that highlights it was a moving hotspot that formed the Ninetyeast Ridge.
The Ninetyeast Ridge stretches 5000 km along the 90-degree east longitude in the Indian Ocean and is the world's longest straight underwater mountain belt. Hugo Olierook is a co-author on a new paper in Nature Communications that highlights it was a moving hotspot that formed the Ninetyeast Ridge.

The world’s longest straight underwater mountain belt was created by a moving hotspot

November 2024

A distinct group of Paleoarchean zircon grains that was deposited by the Swan River to the north of present-day Rottnest Island, when the sea level was much lower than nowadays, is still present in the offshore detritus. These grains can be traced into the modern Swan estuary and the Avon River tributary.
A distinct group of Paleoarchean zircon grains that was deposited by the Swan River to the north of present-day Rottnest Island, when the sea level was much lower than nowadays, is still present in the offshore detritus. These grains can be traced into the modern Swan estuary and the Avon River tributary.

Zircon grains once transported in the Swan River found to the north of Rottnest Island

October 2024

Timescaler Milo Barham was involved in a study dating iron-rich minerals on the Pinnacles, revealing they formed 100,000 years ago during a wet period as the surrounding rock dissolved.
Timescaler Milo Barham was involved in a study dating iron-rich minerals on the Pinnacles, revealing they formed 100,000 years ago during a wet period as the surrounding rock dissolved.

WA’s iconic Pinnacles formed during wet MIS5c

October 2024

Lucy's research demonstrates how discordant U–Pb data, often considered problematic, can provide key insights into past geological processes such as mineralization and hydrothermal activity.
Lucy's research demonstrates how discordant U–Pb data, often considered problematic, can provide key insights into past geological processes such as mineralization and hydrothermal activity.

Timescales PhD student wins 2nd place (Student Oral Presentations) at SEG 2024

October 2024

A groundbreaking study led by Timescaler Anthony Clarke uncovers an unexpected source of the Altar Stone at Stonehenge, shedding new light on its origins, and offering direct insights into Neolithic society in Britain.
A groundbreaking study led by Timescaler Anthony Clarke uncovers an unexpected source of the Altar Stone at Stonehenge, shedding new light on its origins, and offering direct insights into Neolithic society in Britain.

New Nature study finds that the altar stone of Stonehenge came from Scotland

August 2024

Zircon inclusions armored in titanite grains provide evidence of Earth's primordial crust buried deeply near Perth.
Zircon inclusions armored in titanite grains provide evidence of Earth's primordial crust buried deeply near Perth.

Timecapsules from the deep preserve remnants of Earth’s ancient crust

June 2024

New data from the famous Jack Hills zircon grains reveal clues about the timing of fresh water and the emergence of land during early Earth.
New data from the famous Jack Hills zircon grains reveal clues about the timing of fresh water and the emergence of land during early Earth.

Ancient crystals reveal fresh water and early land on Earth 4 billion years ago

June 2024

Our article
Our article "Emplacement of the Argyle diamond deposit into an ancient rift zone triggered by supercontinent breakup" made it into the Top 25 Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences Articles of 2023.

Our 2023 Nature Communications paper was one of the most read articles of 2023

March 2024

Aspidella, one of the weird and wonderful fossils of Llangynog, Wales (Anthony Clarke).
Aspidella, one of the weird and wonderful fossils of Llangynog, Wales (Anthony Clarke).

New ages on some of Britain’s oldest fossils

February 2024

The Ukraine-Australia Research Fund.
The Ukraine-Australia Research Fund has been awarded to assist Ukrainian researchers impacted by the war with Russia and the Timescales group is looking forward to collaborate with Dr Olena Ganzha (Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).

Ukraine-Australia Research Fund allows Timescales Group to collaborate with Ukrainian researchers

February 2024

WA Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year
The award recognise Australian researchers for their excellence in research as well as enthusiasm for communicating science beyond the walls of the laboratory.

Timescaler Dr Olierook announced WA Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year

October 2023

A pink diamond from the Argyle Mine.
New research reveals that the world's largest pink diamond deposit, Argyle in Western Australia, originated from diamonds crystallized deep within Earth and brought to the surface during the breakup of the ancient supercontinent, Nuna.

Pink diamonds formed during ancient supercontinent breakup

September 2023

Three Minute Thesis competition winner
The Three Minute Thesis competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by Doctor of Philosophy students and cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.

Tools to See Through Time: Timescales PhD student Taryn Scharf winner of the the Three Minute Thesis competition at Curtin University

August 2023

Earth in chaos
Australian researchers have come up with a new way to date the evolution of Earth and the formation of continents.

Dating the formation of Earth’s continents

July 2023

St Brides Bay rocks
Along the Pembrokeshire coast, the dust has been blown away, giving us a glimpse into Wales’ ancient past.

What ancient rocks in Pembrokeshire tell us about Wales’ past

June 2023

Drone image of the Bunda Cliffs, where the Nullarbor Plain meets the Great Australian Bight
Minerals extracted from the dry sands of the Nullarbor Plain may reveal when it became the parched, treeless landscape we know today.

Ancient rocks reveal Nullarbor Plain’s transition from lush forest to desert

April 2023

World's oldest known impact crater
Meteorite impacts can be cataclysmic events in the history of a planet, melting rock, changing atmospheric chemistry, and wreaking general havoc

How the world’s oldest known meteorite impact structure changed the chemistry of Earth’s crust

April 2023

Controls on the severity of past environmental crises
A study of the emissions of past volcanic eruptions and how they controlled the severity of environmental crises, aiding future mineral exploration (volcanic eruptions shaped our mineral deposits) and informing future climate models

Australian Research Council funding for Dr Olierook, Timescales Group

September 2022

A bullseye stands out on 3D satellite data of the Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain has a reputation for being flat and featureless, but 3D satellite images reveal there is much more to this ancient landscape than meets the eye.

A giant ‘bullseye’ on the Nullarbor Plain was created by ancient sea life

September 2022

Illustration of Milky Way Galaxy
New Curtin research has found evidence that Earth’s early continents resulted from being hit by comets as our Solar System passed into and out of the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy, turning traditional thinking about our planet’s formation on its head.

Comet impacts formed continents when Solar System entered galactic arms

August 2022

The Pilbara Craton
New Curtin research has provided the strongest evidence yet that Earth’s continents were formed by giant meteorite impacts that were particularly prevalent during the first billion years or so of our planet’s four-and-a-half-billion year history.

Study finds evidence that giant meteorite impacts created the continents

August 2022

The enormous Lulo Rose diamond at 170 carats could become the most expensive diamond ever - we tell you why only some diamonds are coloured.
The enormous Lulo Rose diamond at 170 carats could become the most expensive diamond ever - we tell you why only some diamonds are coloured.

Perfectly imperfect: the discovery of the second-largest pink diamond has left the world in awe

July 2022

A new Curtin University study has found that water was transported much deeper in the early Earth than previously thought, shedding new light on how the continents were originally formed
A new Curtin University study has found that water was transported much deeper in the early Earth than previously thought, shedding new light on how the continents were originally formed

Earth’s ancient water cycle was key to making continents

July 2022

The speed and volume of carbon dioxide emitted from supervolcanoes controlled the severity of past environmental crises on Earth
The speed and volume of carbon dioxide emitted from supervolcanoes controlled the severity of past environmental crises on Earth

Supervolcano Study Finds CO2 Emissions Key to Avoiding Climate Disasters

July 2022

By firing lasers finer than a human hair at tiny grains of a mineral extracted from beach sand, Curtin researchers have found evidence of an almost four billion-year-old piece of the Earth’s crust that lies beneath the South-West of WA
By firing lasers finer than a human hair at tiny grains of a mineral extracted from beach sand, Curtin researchers have found evidence of an almost four billion-year-old piece of the Earth’s crust that lies beneath the South-West of WA

Lasers light the way to discovery of ancient crust beneath Western Australia

July 2022

Can sand tell us more about the Earth's history?
Can sand tell us more about the Earth's history?

Unlocking ancient history of Earth from grains of sand

March 2022

The alleged Maniitsoq 'Crater' is debunked!
The alleged Maniitsoq 'Crater' is debunked!

The Oldest Crater from a Meteorite…Isn’t a Crater after All?

February 2022

SciShow Space (video)

This year Nature Communications has published original research and opinion across the Earth sciences. To celebrate these contributions, the editors of the Earth team select some of their highlights from the papers, commentary reviews, perspectives and editorials published in 2021.
Earth Team Editorial Highlights 2021

Our 2021 Nature Communications paper is highlighted by the journal editors

December 2021

A photo of the ruby scientists found that contained ancient traces of life
A photo of the ruby scientists found that contained ancient traces of life

Scientists discover trace of ancient life in a 2.5 billion-year-old ruby

October 2021

Researchers collect sediments from a rocky stream with a helicopter and steep rock hills in the background
How did today’s continents come to be? Geological sleuths found clues in grains of sand.

Earth’s Continents Share an Ancient Crustal Ancestor

August 2021

Dr Steven Andrews inspecting the boundary between successive lava flows in Wollaston Forland in northeast Greenland. The faint red band directly above the geologists head represents the eruption surface of a lava flow that was broken down into laterite by the hot wet climate.
Frozen northeast Greenland seems an unlikely place to gain insight into our ever-warming world. Between 50 million and 60 million years ago, however, the region was a different place.

When Greenland was green: rapid global warming 55 million years ago shows us what the future may hold

August 2021

Karijini NP in the Pilbara
Ancient Pilbara rocks speak of Earth's first continents

Just add (mantle) water: new research cracks the mystery of how the first continents formed

April 2021

Yarrabubba crater
The discovery of the world’s oldest asteroid strike was a top read paper in 2020

Discovery of oldest recognised impact structure one of the most read articles of 2020

March 2021

A research paper from Curtin’s Yarrabubba asteroid discovery team was one of the most read Nature Communications articles in Earth, environmental and planetary sciences in 2020. The paper, Precise radiometric age establishes Yarrabubba, Western Australia, as Earth’s oldest recognised meteorite impact structure, made the Top 50 Read Articles of 2020.

A melt water stream carrying ancient zircon crystals
Curtin University researchers have used ancient crystals from eroded rocks found in stream sediments in Greenland to successfully test the theory that portions of Earth's ancient crust acted as 'seeds' from which later generations of crust grew.

Earth’s outer shell ballooned during massive growth spurt 3 billion years ago

January 2021

Stirred, not shaken
Kristoffer Szilas holds the piece of rock, which he calls "the smoking gun". Here is seen the bright granitic vein that the original scientists claimed was formed as a result of a meteor impact. An international research team has now shown that these veins are 40 million years too young to fit with a meteor impact.

The world’s oldest meteor crater is not located in Maniitsoq

January 2021

Magma conveyer belt
A subterranean 'conveyor belt' of magma, pushing up to Earth's surface for millions of years, was responsible for the longest stretch of erupting supervolcanoes ever seen on the planet, according to new research.

Magma ‘conveyor belt’ fuelled world’s longest erupting supervolcanoes

November 2020

Pacific Ocean
New Curtin University-led research has uncovered how rocks sourced from the Earth's mantle are linked to the formation and breakup of supercontinents and super oceans over the past 700 million years, suggesting that the Earth is made up of two distinct "faces."

Uncovering the two faces of Earth

June 2020

Nuuk
Researchers examined some of the oldest rocks in western Greenland to probe the beginnings of today’s continents.

Greenland’s deep secret of continent formation and structure

February 2020

Yarrabubba crater
We found the world’s oldest asteroid strike in Western Australia. It might have triggered a global thaw.

Yarrabubba crater in WA outback world’s oldest recognised impact structure

Mineral sands
A chance find on Western Australia's south coast has helped trace Australia's connection to Antarctica back hundreds of millions of years.

Mineral sands’ 500-million-year journey from Antarctica to Western Australia unearthed

November 2019

Snowball Earth
Curtin University researchers have discovered that a global ice age more than 600 million years ago dramatically altered the face of the planet, leaving a barren, flooded landscape and clear oceans.

600M-year-old ice age caused ‘Snowball Earth,’ radically changing planet’s climate

October 2019

Volcano
Curtin University researchers have discovered that a global ice age more than 600 million years ago dramatically altered the face of the planet, leaving a barren, flooded landscape and clear oceans.

Giant ancient supervolcanoes threw rock right across Australia

August 2016