https://bereket-haileab.geology.sites.carleton.edu/files/original/6afad685c12421df864d988d12948c25.jpg bb481bb55e4de86170d84ccbf40b8ea2 https://bereket-haileab.geology.sites.carleton.edu/files/original/b9a61960cddd93b302b78aebd3fad133.jpg 8fa4a840938165926fcdff0df0ed3332 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Metamorphic Rocks Subject The topic of the resource This collection includes slates, phyllites, schists, gneisses, eclogites, marbles, quartzites, skarns, granulites, and mylonites. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bereket Haileab Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Housed in Anderson Hall, Carleton College. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Thin sections, thin section scans, hand samples, hand sample images, photomicrographs, chemical analyses (major elements, trace elements and REE analyses for selected samples). Thin section Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource BH250-224 Subject The topic of the resource Quartzite Quartzite from Jack Hills of Western Australia. Description An account of the resource Major Minerals: quartz, muscovite, biotite Minor Mineral: zircon Mineralogy Comments: one of oldest zircons in world (4.4 billion years) Quartzite is a hard, durable metamorphic rock formed by the recrystallization of quartz-rich sandstone under elevated temperature and pressure. During metamorphism, original sand grains are fused into a dense, interlocking mosaic of quartz crystals, giving quartzite its characteristic strength and resistance to weathering. In hand sample, quartzite typically appears light colored—ranging from white to gray or pink—and commonly fractures across grains rather than around them, a key feature that distinguishes it from its sedimentary precursor. Mineralogically, quartzite is dominated by quartz, with minor amounts of muscovite and biotite mica that may impart a subtle sheen or weak foliation in some specimens. Accessory minerals such as zircon may be present in trace amounts, yet they are of exceptional scientific importance. In most quartzites, zircon grains are detrital, inherited from the original sandstone and preserved through metamorphism, making them valuable recorders of ancient crustal history. A particularly famous occurrence of quartzite is found in the Jack Hills of Western Australia, within Australia. These quartzites contain detrital zircon grains that are among the oldest known materials on Earth, with ages reaching up to about 4.4 billion years. These zircons predate most preserved rocks and provide rare insight into the earliest crust of the planet, suggesting that continental crust—and possibly liquid water—existed very early in Earth’s history. Their survival through multiple cycles of erosion, deposition, and metamorphism highlights both the resilience of zircon and the complex recycling processes of Earth’s crust. Quartzite from the Jack Hills is therefore more than a simple metamorphic rock; it is a geological archive of deep time. The combination of a quartz-dominated mineral assemblage, minor mica, and the presence of ancient zircon grains makes it an exceptional teaching and research material for understanding sedimentary provenance, metamorphic processes, and the earliest chapters of Earth history. This particular sample was collected by John Goodge, further emphasizing its value as both a scientific specimen and an educational resource. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Location: Jack Hills, Western Australia, Australia Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived From the rock collection of Bereket Haileab. Sample 224. Housed at Carleton College in Minnesota. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource John Goodge Type The nature or genre of the resource Thin section Relation A related resource <iframe width="100%" height="600" style="border: 0;" src="https://carleton.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/media/index.html?appid=a30d28d03d3f42fbbfb0a12dc7076ae8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">iFrames are not supported on this page.</iframe> <br />View on ArcGIS Online <a href="https://carleton.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=715ae028c3d4463c97b8a3fafa66ee6e">here</a><br /><br /><iframe width="100%" height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AvR6MQh43KGMN0nsXX23-X9mGsOjZ5ep/preview" allow="autoplay"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="100%" height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15W7EMlMtFjrg38CDRKzHTKYs6es6TMBq/preview" allow="autoplay"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="100%" height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/171FT-7OSrdyhavloIp9BXJO3AY5h2aBw/preview" allow="autoplay"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="100%" height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zztg6iR27GHnGI2Cgz7M7cET82vrm-lG/preview" allow="autoplay"></iframe><iframe width="100%" height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TKEAsFir09vDY1Mmy2si9IhUqY_HRcCy/preview" allow="autoplay"></iframe><iframe width="100%" height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rUbz-T7k1zPofOjrIFGEMk_bNk5OceOi/preview" allow="autoplay"></iframe> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bereket Haileab 4.4 billion years Australia Detrital Zircon Jack Hills metamorphic metamorphic rock metasedimentary oldest minerals Quartz quartzite Western Australia Zircon