Zircon
Zircon is a silicate mineral. It is found in many different places in almost all kinds of rock. The chemical it is made up of is called zirconium silicate: ZrSiO4. Clear zircon may look like diamond and has been used as a cheaper replacement for diamond. It is not the same as cubic zirconia, which is man-made zirconium dioxide. In the United States, zircon is considered to be the birth stone for the month of December.
Long lasting zircons
Zircons from the Jack Hills in the Narryer Gneiss Terrane, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, have yielded U–Pb (uranium–lead radioactive dating) ages up to 4.404 billion years.[1] This is judged to be the age of crystallization, making them the oldest minerals so far dated on Earth. In addition, the oxygen isotopic compositions of some of these zircons indicate that more than 4.4 billion years ago there was already water on the surface of the Earth.[1][2] This interpretation is supported by additional trace element data,[3][4] but is also the subject of debate.[5][6]
Zircon Media
Optical microscope photograph; the length of the crystal is about 250 µm
Sand-sized grains of zircon
A pale blue zircon gemstone weighing 3.36 carats
World production trend of zirconium mineral concentrates
SEM-CL image of Zircon grain showing zonations and poly-cycles (core-rim structure)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wilde S.A., Valley J.W., Peck W.H. and Graham C.M. (2001). "Evidence from detrital zircons for the existence of continental crust and oceans on the Earth 4.4 Gyr ago" (PDF). Nature. 409 (6817): 175–178. doi:10.1038/35051550. PMID 11196637. S2CID 4319774.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Mojzsis, S.J., Harrison, T.M., Pidgeon, R.T. (2001). "Oxygen-isotope evidence from ancient zircons for liquid water at the Earth's surface 4300 Myr ago". Nature. 409 (6817): 178–181. doi:10.1038/35051557. PMID 11196638. S2CID 2819082.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Ushikubo, T., Kita, N.T., Cavosie, A.J., Wilde, S.A. Rudnick, R.L. and Valley, J.W. (2008). "Lithium in Jack Hills zircons: Evidence for extensive weathering of Earth's earliest crust". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 272 (3–4): 666–676. Bibcode:2008E&PSL.272..666U. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.05.032.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Ancient mineral shows early Earth climate tough on continents. Physorg.com. June 13, 2008. http://www.physorg.com/news132583481.html.
- ↑ Nemchin, A.A., Pidgeon, R.T., Whitehouse, M.J. (2006). "Re-evaluation of the origin and evolution of >4.2 Ga zircons from the Jack Hills metasedimentary rocks". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 244 (1–2): 218–233. Bibcode:2006E&PSL.244..218N. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2006.01.054.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Cavosie, A.J., Valley, J.W., Wilde, S.A., E.I.M.F. (2005). "Magmatic δ18O in 4400–3900 Ma detrital zircons: a record of the alteration and recycling of crust in the Early Archean". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 235 (3–4): 663–681. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.04.028.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)