Isua Greenstone Belt

The Isua Greenstone Belt is an Archean greenstone belt in southwestern Greenland. The belt is aged between 3.7 and 3.8 Ga, making it among the oldest rock in the world. The belt contains variably metamorphosed mafic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The occurrence of boninitic geochemical signatures offers evidence that plate tectonic processes may be responsible for the creation of the belt. The presence of pillow basalts indicates that liquid water existed on the surface at this time.

References

• Polat, A., Hofmann, A.W., and Rosing, M.T., 2002. Boninite-like volcanic rocks in the 3.7-3.8 Ga Isua greenstone belt, West Greenland: geochemical evidence for intra-oceanic subduction zone processes in the early Earth. Chemical Geology, 184: 231-254.
• Appel, Peter W.U., Hugh R. Rollinson, and Jacques L.R. Touret. (2001) "Remnants of an Early Archaean (>3.75 Ga) sea-floor, hydrothermal system in the Isua Greenstone Belt." Precambrian Research, Vol. 112, Issues 1-2, 15 November, pp. 27–49.
• Appel, Peter W.U., C.M Fedo, and J.S. Myers. (2001a) "Depositional setting and paleogeographic implications of Earth's oldest supracrustal rocks, the > 3.7 Ga Isua Greenstone belt, West Greenland." Sedimentary Geology, Vol.141, pp. 61–77. Online Abstract:
• Bickle, Michael James, Hazel Joan Chapman, Mary R. Fowler, Nathalie Grassineau, Morag Hunter, Tony Martin and Euan George Nisbet. (1999) "Geochemistry of the Early Oceans." Journal of Conference Abstracts, Vol. 4, No. 1, Symposium A08, Early Evolution of the Continental Crust.
• Dann, J.C., T.L. Grove, and S.W. Parman. (2001) "The production of Barberton komatiites in an Archean subduction zone." Geophysical Research Letters, fascicolo: 13, Vol. 28, pp. 2513–2516. Online Abstract:
• Frei, Robert and Minik T. Rosing. (1999) "Late Archaean Metasomatism and Kyanite Formation in the >3700 Ma Isua Supracrustals, West Greenland." Journal of Conference Abstracts, Vol. 4, No. 1, Symposium A08, Early Evolution of the Continental Crust.
• Myers, John S. (2001) "Protoliths of the 3.8-3.7 Ga Isua greenstone belt, West Greenland." Precambrian Research, fascicolo: 2-4, Vol. 105, pp. 129–141. Online Abstract:
• Myers, John. (1999) "Protoliths of the c. 3.7 Ga Isua Greenstone Belt, West Greenland." Journal of Conference Abstracts, Vol. 4, No. 1, Symposium A08, Early Evolution of the Continental Crust.
• Polat, A., Hofmann, A.W., and Rosing, M.T., 2002. Boninite-like volcanic rocks in the 3.7-3.8 Ga Isua greenstone belt, West Greenland: geochemical evidence for intra-oceanic subduction zone processes in the early Earth. Chemical Geology, 184: 231-254.
• Rapp, Robert P. (1999) "First Origins of Archean Continental Crust: Assessing Experimentally the Roles of Mafic Versus Ultramafic Sources." Dept. of Geosciences, State University of New York.
• Rollinson, Hugh. (1999) "TTG Genesis and Archaean Crustal Growth." Journal of Conference Abstracts, Vol. 4: No. 1, Symposium A08. Early Evolution of the Continental Crust. Online:

Coordinates: 65°05′N 50°02′W / 65.09°N 50.04°W / 65.09; -50.04