• Question: whats the oldest rock you have ever seen

    Asked by ronaldmcdonald562 to Laura, Angus, Christian, Hannah, Simon on 17 Jun 2013. This question was also asked by h0neyb00b00, frazzle.
    • Photo: Laura Roberts Artal

      Laura Roberts Artal answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      The oldest rock I’ve ever seen is a lava from my field area in South Africa, called a Komatiite. It’s a very rare form of lava and it is 3500000000 years old. It was made not long after the Earth became a planet.
      If you spread your arms out to the side, imagine the distance between both your hands is how old the Earth is. The tip of your fingers on your left hand is when the Earth formed and the tip of your fingers on your right hand is today. The rocks I’ve studied would sit at about your left elbow. That gives you an idea of how old they are!

    • Photo: Simon Holyoake

      Simon Holyoake answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      I think Laura has seen rocks much older than I have!!

      I’m afraid I can’t give a good answer to this one, as I don’t know for sure!

    • Photo: Christian Maerz

      Christian Maerz answered on 21 Jun 2013:

      I have seen some Cambrian rocks in Sardinia, which are about 600 million years old.

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