Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland

Frei, R., Polat, A., and Meibom, A., 2004. The Hadean upper mantle conundrum evidence for source depletion and enrichment from Sm-Nd, Re-Os and Pb-isotopic compositions in 3.71 Ga boninite-like metabasalts from the Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland. Geochim. 

Dymek R. F. and Klein C. (1988) Chemistry, petrology and origin of banded iron-formation lithologies from the 3,800 Ma Isua supracrustal belt. West Greenland. Precamb. Res. 39, 247-302. 

Dymek, R. F., Brothers, S. C. Schiffries, C. M. 1988. Petrogenesis of ultramafic metamor phic rocks from the 3800 Ma Isua supracrustal belt. West Greenland. Journal of Petrology 29,... 

Frei, R. Rosing, M. T. 2001. The least terrestrial leads implications for the early Archaean crustal evolution and hydrothermal-metasomatic processes in the Isua supracrustal belt (west Greenland). Chemical Geology, 181, 47-66. 

Rose, N. M., Rosing, M. T. Bridgwater, D. 1996. The origin of metacarbonate rocks in the Archaean Isua supracrustal belt, West Greenland. American Journal of Science, 296, 1004-1044. 

Blichert-Toft, J. and Frei, R., 2001. Complex Sm-Nd and Lu-Flf isotope systematics in metamorphic garnets from Isua supracrustal belt, west Greenland. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 65, 3177-87. 

Frei, R. and Jensen, B.T., 2003. Re-Os, Sm-Nd isotope and REE systematics on ultramafic rocks and pillow basalts from the Earth s oldest oceanic crustal fragments (Isua supracrustal belt and Ujaragssuit nunat area, W. Greenland). Chem. Geol., 196, 163-91. 

Nutman, A.P., Allart, J.P., Bridgwater, D., Dimroth, E., and Rosing, M., 1984. Stratigraphic and geochemical evidence for the depositional environment of the early Archaean Isua supracrustal belt, southern west Greenland. Precambrian Res., 25, 365-96. 

Graphite and carbonates in the 3.8 Ga-old Isua supracrustal belt, southern west Greenland. Precambrian Res., 126, 331 18. 

Van Zuilen, M.A., Mathew, K., Wopenka, B., Lepland, A., Marti, K., and Arrhenius, G., 2005. Nitrogen and argon isotopic signatures in graphite from the 3.8 Ga-old Isua supracrustal belt, southern west Greenland. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 69, 1241-52. 

The oldest existing rocks on Earth, from the Isua supracrustal belt of West Greenland, are dated at 3.8 X 10 years (Moorbath et al., 1973) and consist of metamorphosed sediments. It has been suggested that the carbon in the Isua banded iron formation may be photosynthetic in origin (Schidlowski et al., 1979). Whether this remarkable conclusion is substantiated by further work remains to be seen. It is in any case abundantly clear from the available evidence that the conditions of deposition of the oldest known sediments were remarkably like those prevailing during the rest of the Archaean (4.6 — 2.6 X 10 years). Furthermore, with the exception of the appearance... 

Nutman, A. P., Bennett, V. C., Friend, C. R. L. Rosing, M. T. 1997. Approximately 3710 and >3790 Ma volcanic sequences in the Isua (Greenland) supracrustal belt structural and Nd isotope implications. Chemical Geology, 141, 271-287. 

Fedo, C. M., Myers, J. S. Appel, P. W. U. 2001. Depositional setting and palaeogeographic implications of earth s oldest supracrustal rocks, the >3.7Ga Isua Greenstone Belt, west Greenland. Sedimentary Geology, 141/142, 61-77. 

---