The precambrian Earth: tempos and events / Докембрийская земля: темпы и события

Many facets of Earth's evolution are intriguing, yet most of our attention is drawn to the more recent phases, as from the Cambrian epoch (c. < 540 Ma). The Precambrian Era, from 4.5 to 0.54 Ga, covers almost 90% of this planet's history but our knowledge of this segment of time remains elusive, save for selective aspects. Even though extensive research has been conducted on some topics, a significant diversity of opinions amongst researchers is evident and generally concerns the origin, the mechanism or the process inherent to a specific criterion. For example, did the atmosphere change with time? Are palaeoweathering surfaces or regoliths indicative of anoxic or oxygenated climatic conditions? Many other unresolved questions remain. What were the prevalent large-scale driving forces during continent or greenstone belt formation? Have sedimentary patterns evolved with time, or is there just a shift in the prevalent transport process? Can sequence stratigraphy be applied to Archaean sequences, or is better temporal resolution required? Can tidal sequences be identified and characterised in 3.2 Ga sedimentary rocks? Can we reconstruct celestial mechanics within the solar system using modern tidal models and calculations? Have volcanic processes changed over geological time? Why are komatiites largely constrained to the Archaean era? Have supercontinents driven global glaciation periods? <...>