Neoarchaean facts for kids
The Neoarchean era was the last part of the Archaean eon, a very long time in Earth's history. It started about 2.8 billion years ago and ended 2.5 billion years ago. Before the Neoarchean was the Mesoarchean era. After it came the Palaeoproterozoic era. This was a time when Earth changed a lot!
| Precambrian (4.567 gya – 541 mya) | |
|---|---|
| In the left column are Eons, bold are Eras, not bold are Periods. gya = billion years ago, mya = million years ago | |
| Hadean (4.567 gya – 4 gya) | Chaotian Zirconian |
| Archaean (4 gya – 2.5 gya) | Eoarchaean (4 gya – 3.6 gya)
Palaeoarchaean (3.6 gya – 3.2 gya) Mesoarchaean (3.2 gya – 2.8 gya) Neoarchaean (2.8 gya – 2.5 gya) |
| Proterozoic (2.5 gya – 541 mya) | Palaeoproterozoic (2.5 gya – 1.6 gya) Siderian (2.5 gya – 2.3 gya) Rhyacian (2.3 gya – 2.05 gya) Orosirian (2.05 gya – 1.8 gya) Statherian (1.8 gya – 1.6 gya)
Mesoproterozoic (1.6 gya – 1 gya) Calymmian (1.6 gya – 1.4 gya) Ectasian (1.4 gya – 1.2 gya) Stenian (1.2 gya – 1 gya) Neoproterozoic (1 gya - 541 mya) Tonian (1 gya – 720 mya) Cryogenian (720 mya – 635 mya) Ediacaran (635 mya – 541 mya) |
Contents
Earth's Big Changes in the Neoarchean
The Neoarchean era was a very important time for our planet. It saw huge changes in Earth's air and how its land was shaped. These changes set the stage for the different kinds of life we see today.
How Life Changed Earth's Air
During the Neoarchean era, something amazing happened. Tiny living things started to make their own food using sunlight. This process is called Oxygenic photosynthesis. It's like plants do today! But these early life forms were very simple.
When they made food, they also made a gas called oxygen. At first, this oxygen mixed with rocks and iron in the oceans. But over millions of years, more and more oxygen was made. This extra oxygen started to build up in Earth's atmosphere.
The Rise of Oxygen
This buildup of oxygen was a huge event for Earth. It's sometimes called the Great Oxygenation Event. It was a big change because oxygen was like a poison to many of the early life forms that didn't use it. They had to adapt or they died out.
This event happened mostly after the Neoarchean, in the Palaeoproterozoic era. But the tiny oxygen-making life forms that caused it first appeared and grew in the Neoarchean. They completely changed the air we breathe today!
Giant Continents Form
The Neoarchean era was also a time when Earth's land masses moved around a lot. During this period, about 2.7 billion years ago, a huge supercontinent formed. This giant landmass is called Kenorland.
Imagine all the continents we know today, but squished together into one enormous land. That's what a supercontinent is! Kenorland was one of the earliest supercontinents. Its formation was a major event in Earth's geological history.
Images for kids
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This graph shows how oxygen increased in Earth's atmosphere, starting around the Neoarchean era.
See also
In Spanish: Era Neoarcaica para niños
