The Birth of Continents: Insights from Archaean Terrains of Arctic Fennoscandia

Acronym

BICO

Description of the granted funding

Have you ever wondered how Earth's continents came to be? This project delves into the origins of the very first continents, which formed nearly 3 billion years ago, by studying light-coloured ancient rocks, TTGs (tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorites), and the dark basaltic fragments they contain in Arctic Fennoscandia. These rocks hold vital clues about how our planet evolved from a lifeless sphere into a place capable of supporting life. Using cutting-edge tools like structural studies, geochemical analyses, isotopic methods, and 3D imaging, we explore how heat and pressure melted parts of these rocks, leading to the formation of the stable, buoyant crust that eventually became Earth's continents. This groundbreaking research is conducted in Finland, leveraging world-class research facilities.
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Starting year

2025

End year

2029

Granted funding



Jaana-M Halla Orcid -palvelun logo
499 967 €

Funder

Research Council of Finland

Funding instrument

Academy projects

Decision maker

Scientific Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering
12.06.2025

Other information

Funding decision number

367900

Fields of science

Geosciences

Research fields

Geotieteet

Identified topics

arctic region