Is the Mystery of Earth's 1.2 Billion Missing Years Solved? | SciShow News

The video explores the Great Unconformity, a geological mystery where over a billion years of Earth's history is missing. Researchers propose that massive glaciers during the Snowball Earth period eroded the Earth's surface, removing significant geological records. By studying zircon crystals, they suggest that this material was subducted into the Earth's mantle. The findings also hint at a connection between this erosion and the Cambrian explosion of life. However, questions remain about the timing and processes involved, requiring further research.

What is the Great Unconformity?

• A type of rock formation

• A large gap in the geologic record

• A theory about the origin of life

• A period of intense volcanic activity

Who first discovered the Great Unconformity?

• Charles Darwin

• Albert Einstein

• John Powell

• Isaac Newton

What evidence supports the erosion hypothesis for the Great Unconformity?

• Presence of volcanic ash

• Flattened rock layers

• Increased sediment deposition

• Fossilized remains

What role do zircon crystals play in understanding the Great Unconformity?

• They indicate volcanic activity

• They provide age and geochemical data

• They are used in construction

• They show evidence of life

What is the Snowball Earth hypothesis?

• A period when the Earth was mostly covered in ice

• A theory about the Earth's magnetic field

• A phase of rapid continental drift

• A time of increased volcanic eruptions

How might the Great Unconformity relate to the Cambrian explosion?

• It resulted in a decrease in sea levels

• It created conditions for increased biodiversity

• It led to the formation of new continents

• It caused a mass extinction

What is one potential reason for the lack of layers from the end of the Snowball Earth period?

• Volcanic eruptions destroyed them

• The ice left nothing to erode

• The Earth was too hot

• They were buried under new layers