Hadean Eon

Part of the Terrestrial Geologic Timescale

Proteimeran Eon - Hadean Eon - Archean Eon

The Hadean Eon begins with the formation of the proto-Earth Tellus and ends at the time from which planet's oldest known rocks - Acasta Gneiss - are known from. During the Hadean, Tellus and another proto-planet named Theia collided to form the modern Earth and Moon, the Earth's oldest crustal materials (detrital zircons) formed, and the Late Heavy Bombardment - the collision of several asteroids and meteorites into the young Earth - began, and would rage on well into the Archean.

The first lifeforms may have evolved during the Hadean, but likely would have gone extinct due to the Late Heavy Bombardment that also vaporized the first oceans. However, if these Hadean lifeforms did manage to avoid extinction, it is highly probable that they gave were the earliest ancestors of modern life.

Prior to the proposals from Goldblatt et al. and in Gradstein and Ogg's The Geologic Time Scale 2012, the Hadean subdivisions were informal and based upon the lunar geologic timescale. A scheme with the old system may be found in the Alternate section of this site.

The Hadean is subdivided into two eras: the Chaotian and the Zirconian.

Hadean Timescale:

Hadean Eon - 4568-4030 MYA

-Chaotian Era - 4568-4404 MYA

--Hyperitian Period - 4568-4560 MYA

--Titanomachean Period - 4560-4450 MYA

--Hephaestean Period - 4450-4404 MYA

-Zirconian Era - 4404-4030 MYA

--Jacobian Period - 4404-4280 MYA

--Canadian Period - 4280-4200 MYA

--Procrustean Period - 4200-4030 MYA