An Andesitic Source for Jack Hills Zircon Argues for a Hadean Onset of Plate Tectonics

Abstract

The composition and origin of Earth’s early crust remains hotly debated. Here we use partition coefficients to invert the trace element composition of 4.3-3.3 Gyr Jack Hills zircons to calculate the composition of the melts from which they crystallised. These were conducted using a new aliquot of zircons and ages were obtained using standard SHRIMP methodology, with trace elements determined by standard LA-ICP-MS techniques.