The first and longest of the Proterozoic eon's three eras, spanning 2.5 billion to 1.6 billion years ago. It is defined by the Great Oxidation Event, in which atmospheric free oxygen rose from near nothing to a meaningful fraction of modern levels, and by the roughly 300 million year Huronian glaciation and the assembly of the early supercontinent Columbia, also called Nuna. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Start (Million Years Ago) End (Million Years Ago) Key EventAtmospheric free oxygen levels soared permanently during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods in an aerochemical event called the Great Oxidation Event. 1 Paleoproterozoic
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Source Bangweulu Block (Wikipedia)
Source Gunflint chert (Wikipedia)
Source North China Craton (Wikipedia)
Source São Francisco Craton (Wikipedia)
Source Trans-Hudson orogeny (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Vredefort impact structure, Wikipedia
Source West African Craton (Wikipedia)
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1. Paleoproterozoic (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
spanning from 2,500 to 1,600 million years ago
Article text
Eventually all surface reductants (particularly ferrous iron, sulfur and atmospheric methane) were exhausted, and the atmospheric free oxygen levels soared permanently during the Siderian and Rhyacian periods in an aerochemical event called the Great Oxidation Event, which brought atmospheric oxygen from near none to up to 10% of the modern level.
View the Source Bangweulu Block (Wikipedia)
Associated With: Bangweulu Block, Lead, age PaleoproterozoicQuote, Associated With: Bangweulu Block, Lead, age Paleoproterozoic
The Bangweulu Block however consists of Palaeoproterozoic granitoids and volcanics, and is overlain by a Palaeoproterozoic continental sedimentary succession, the Mporokoso Group, and does not preserve much direct evidence of Archaean protoliths.
Gunflint chert (Wikipedia)
Associated With: Gunflint Chert, Lead, age PaleoproterozoicQuote, Associated With: Gunflint Chert, Lead, age Paleoproterozoic
The Gunflint Chert is of paleontological significance, as it contains evidence of microbial life from the Paleoproterozoic.
North China Craton (Wikipedia)
Associated With: North China Craton, Lead, age PaleoproterozoicQuote, Associated With: North China Craton, Lead, age Paleoproterozoic
The North China Craton was at first some discrete, separate blocks of continents with independent tectonic activities. In the Paleoproterozoic (2.5-1.8 billion years ago) the continents collided and amalgamated and interacted with the supercontinent, creating belts of metamorphic rocks between the formerly separate parts.
São Francisco Craton (Wikipedia)
Associated With: São Francisco Craton, Lead, age PaleoproterozoicQuote, Associated With: São Francisco Craton, Lead, age Paleoproterozoic
The Paleoproterozoic (about 2.5 to 2.0 Ga) was the source of orogenic belts and the current configuration of the craton.
Trans-Hudson orogeny (Wikipedia)
Associated With: Trans-Hudson Orogen, Lead, age PaleoproterozoicQuote, Associated With: Trans-Hudson Orogen, Lead, age Paleoproterozoic
It gave rise to the Trans-Hudson orogen (THO), or Trans-Hudson Orogen Transect (THOT), (also referred to as the Trans-Hudsonian Suture Zone (THSZ) or Trans-Hudson suture) which is the largest Paleoproterozoic orogenic belt in the world.
Wikipedia: Vredefort impact structure, Wikipedia
Associated With: Vredefort Dome, Article text, age PaleoproterozoicQuote, Associated With: Vredefort Dome, Article text, age Paleoproterozoic
The impact structure was formed during the Paleoproterozoic Era, 2.023 billion (± 4 million) years ago.
West African Craton (Wikipedia)
Associated With: West African Craton, Lead, age PaleoproterozoicQuote, Associated With: West African Craton, Lead, age Paleoproterozoic
It consists of two Archean centers juxtaposed against multiple Paleoproterozoic domains made of greenstone belts, sedimentary basins, regional granitoid-tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) plutons, and large shear zones.
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