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LITHOEN

Geological time unit

Hadean

The first eon of Earth history, from the formation of the Solar System to the age of the oldest rocks yet found. Almost no rock record survives from it, which is precisely why its lower boundary is set by meteorites rather than by strata.

Classification

rank
eon

How this record is known

1
Settled consensus
Cited as the accepted position of the discipline.

1 of 1 claims on this page cite at least one registered source. Counts describe how each statement is known, not how likely it is to be true.

What Lithoen records

Each claim states how it is known and cites its evidence.

Established4,567–4,031 Ma before present

On the International Chronostratigraphic Chart (v2024/12), the Hadean spans 4567.0 to 4031.0 million years before present.

Not stated verbatim by the source — derived: base of the unit x base of the next younger unit -> span

A span is not stated anywhere on the chart: the chart gives boundary ages, and the span between two of them is composed from the two lines the premises cite.

  • definition basis: International Chronostratigraphic Chart v2024/12; the chronostratigraphic counterpart of the Hadean is the Hadean Eonothem.
  • precision note: The chart states that numerical ages are subject to ongoing revision and do not define units; GSSPs do.

Evidence support: Derived from the cited evidence one source

Evidence: Cohen 2024 Primary authority

In the knowledge graph

Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.