In Western Australia, single zircon crystals found in younger sedimentary rocks have radiometric ages of as much as 4.3 billion years, making these tiny crystals the oldest materials to be found on Earth so far.

Where have the oldest rocks and minerals in Australia been found by use of radioactive dating?

Valley and colleagues have previously used uranium-lead radioactive dating to determine the age of a zircon crystal sample (named 01JH36-69), which was found 15 years ago in metamorphosed sandstone at Jack Hills, 800 kilometres north of Perth.

Where in Canada are the oldest rocks?

The Acasta Gneiss is a tonalite gneiss in the Slave craton in Northwest Territories, Canada. The rock body is exposed on an island about 300 kilometres north of Yellowknife. The rock of the outcrop was metamorphosed 3.58 to 4.031 billion years ago and is the oldest known intact crustal fragment on Earth.

What is the oldest crystal found on Earth?

Scientists identify oldest crystal on Earth -- 4.4 billion years old1/3. A 4.4-billion-year-old zircon crystal is the oldest material ever found on Earth. ( 2/3. The Jack Hills zircon is the oldest material ever discovered on Earth. ( 3/3. Looking down on Jack Hills, where the oldest zircon on Earth was discovered. (24 Feb 2014