Hadean Eon – The Newborn Earth
Key Events
- The Earth forms through accretion (rubble from the Solar System clumping together).
- Initially, its surface is molten.
- As Earth cools, minerals separate based on density to create the crust, mantle and core.
- The Moon forms, most likely through a collision betweenEarth and a body the size of Mars, 4,500 million years ago.
- Earth becomes covered in water.
![](https://cornwallseatostars.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Sea-to-Stars-Line-elements-A3-Finals_Page_01-2-724x1024.jpg)
Facts, Debates & Trivia
- The eon is named after Hades, god of the Underworld, because of the hellish conditions.
- We don’t know how or when Earth acquires its water. It might come from impacts by icy comets or be ‘outgassed’ from water held internally.
- Just like Earth, Mars also acquires water during this time.
![](https://cornwallseatostars.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Cornwall-Sea-to-Stars-V5-Proofs_Page_02-341x1024.jpg)
Conditions
- The newborn Earth is a hostile environment!
- Temperatures are scorching hot from the accretion process and heating from radioactive elements.
- There are high radiation levels.
- Earth has frequent collisions with other bodies in the Solar System.
![](https://cornwallseatostars.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-Hadean_Earth.jpg)
Timeline
4,600-4,000 million years ago (600 million years)
![](https://cornwallseatostars.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-Stopwatch-Hadean-1024x843.png)
![](https://cornwallseatostars.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fast_forward-300x179.png)
20 million years
Where have you reached on the trail?
![](https://cornwallseatostars.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Trail_Start.png)