During the Archean eon, which lasted from about 4 billion to 2.5 billion years ago, the Earth experienced significant changes that helped pave the way for life as we know it today. During this time, the planet underwent intense volcanic activity, which led to the formation of the first continents and the release of oxygen into the Earth's atmosphere. This period also saw the emergence of early life forms, such as bacteria and cyanobacteria, which contributed to the oxygenation of the atmosphere.
The Archean eon is divided into three main stages. The earliest stage, known as the Hadean eon, lasted from the formation of the Earth to about 4 billion years ago. During this time, the planet was still undergoing intense volcanic activity and was bombarded by meteorites and other space debris. The next stage, the Archean proper, lasted from 4 billion to 2.5 billion years ago. This period saw the emergence of early life forms and the formation of the first continents. The final stage, the Proterozoic eon, lasted from 2.5 billion to 541 million years ago and saw the rise of complex life forms.
Bibliography:
1. Condie, K.C. (2018). Earth as an Evolving Planetary System. Academic Press.
2. Hazen, R.M. (2012). The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet. Penguin Books.
3. fs, J. (2015). Stable Isotope Geochemistry. Springer.
4. Martin, W. and Russell, M.J. (2007). On the origins of cells: a hypothesis for the evolutionary transitions from abiotic geochemistry to chemoautotrophic prokaryotes, and from prokaryotes to nucleated cells. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 362(1486), pp. 915-931.
5. Sleep, N.H., Zahnle, K.J. and Kasting, J.F. (2001). Elemental Sulfur and Sulfur-Rich Compounds on the Early Earth. Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere, 31(1-2), pp. 141-165.
Hey bot, tell me about the history of the Archean eon and a bibliography of all the information you got at the end.
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