A journey of Earth's 4.6 billion year history
EarthDoc is a long-term project documenting the history of Earth. Through film, blog, and podcast, it seeks to tell the story of our planet's evolution over 4.6 billion years from a rigorous scientific perspective.
In the Hadean, a world with no continents and no rivers, how did water move under a sun 30% dimmer than today? This article traces Earth's earliest water cycle: the greenhouse atmosphere that kept oceans liquid, acid rain weathering the first rocks, the carbonate-silicate thermostat, and the transformation when Archaean continents finally emerged. Read more →
Before the Moon existed, Earth had no stable surface. The Theia impact shattered everything. Then, over millions of years, the magma ocean cooled, minerals crystallised, and the first thin islands of solid rock emerged from a global sea. This is the story of how Earth grew its first skin , and why that matters for every planet in the Solar System. Read more →
In the Hadean eon, the entire surface of the Earth was a volcano. Volcanoes are not random disasters; they are the inevitable result of a planet's internal heat seeking an outlet. They built the early atmosphere, delivered the first oceans, and created the conditions for life. Understanding why volcanoes exist and what forms they take is to understand Earth's own construction history. Read more →
Over 70% of Earth's surface is covered by oceans, but this vast expanse of blue was not always there. During the Hadean eon, as the scorching early Earth gradually cooled, water vapour condensed from the thick atmosphere and fell as rain, accumulating into Earth's first oceans. This article traces the origin of Earth's water, the story of the first rainfall, and the geological evidence preserved in ancient zircon crystals. Read more →
Earth's atmosphere was not always as it is today. During the Hadean eon, it was torn apart, vaporised, rebuilt by volcanoes, shattered by impacts, and replenished again and again. This article traces the full story and reveals the physical and chemical mechanisms behind the formation of the Hadean atmosphere. Read more →
How the Moon formed from a giant impact early in Earth's history, and what it means for our planet today. Read more →
A detailed explanation of early Earth formation: from dust accretion to a molten, differentiated planet during the Hadean eon. Read more →
The solar system was born 4.6 billion years ago. Its formation was a complex and lengthy process, involving the end of a previous generation of stars, supernova-triggered nebular collapse, and the accumulation... Read more →
A short note on greenhouse balance in the Archean. Read more →