The natural history of Earth concerns the development of planet Earth from its formation to the present day. Nearly … See more

In geochronology, time is generally measured in mya (million years ago), each unit representing the period of approximately 1,000,000 years in the past. The history of Earth is divided into four great … See more

The history of the Earth can be organized chronologically according to the geologic time scale, which is split into intervals based on stratigraphic analysis. The following five timelines show the geologic time scale t… See more

The standard model for the formation of the Solar System (including the Earth) is the solar nebula hypothesis. In this model, the Solar System formed from a large, rotating cloud of interstellar dust and gas called the solar nebula. … See more

The first eon in Earth's history, the Hadean, begins with the Earth's formation and is followed by the Archean eon at 3.8 Ga. The oldest rocks found on Earth date to about 4.0 Ga, and the oldest detrital zircon crystals in rocks to … See more

The Proterozoic eon lasted from 2.5 Ga to 538.8 Ma (million years) ago. In this time span, cratons grew into continents with modern sizes. The change to an oxygen-rich atmosphere was a crucial developmen… See more