Comprehension Passage
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
Rock samples dating back 4.1 billion years and bearing traces of the weather-proof mineral zircon have been found in Telangana' s Chitrial, 100 km north of Hyderabad, that can shed light on geological events from a dark age when the Earth was in its infancy.
The latest find by researchers from Presidency University, Hiroshima University and National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) can offer fresh clues about the Earth' s early chemical evolution and open a window into the first mysterious half-a-billion years of the planet.
Zircon was one of the first minerals to crystallise when the Earth's crust was being formed out of molten magma during the Hadean age, according to geologists. It is hard and chemically stable, making it resistant to weathering.
A senior geologist, who was part of the study, said the discovery of the Hadean zircon in Telangana indicated that the Earth' s early history could be found hidden in rocks in India. "This is significant. Further study will help us understand the chemical and physical conditions, including the presence of water, in the first few hundred million years of the earth," Presidency geology professor Sankar Bose said.
The only discovery older than the recent one in India was in the tonalitic rocks of the Kendujhar district of Odisha in 2018. That find was estimated to be more than 4.2 billion years old. Zircon, a little more than 4 billion years old, has previously been found in Kerala's Wayanad (in 2016) and from the river Baitarani in Odisha (in 2018). The earth's oldest zircon (about 4.4 billion years) was found in Western Australia's Jack Hill.
Many other minerals and rocks from that era have perished, say geologists, but zircon has survived the test of time because of its extreme physical and chemical resilience. That is why the mineral is called one of the most reliable timekeepers of the earth's history.
Rock samples dating back 4.1 billion years and bearing traces of the weather-proof mineral zircon have been found in Telangana' s Chitrial, 100 km north of Hyderabad, that can shed light on geological events from a dark age when the Earth was in its infancy.
The latest find by researchers from Presidency University, Hiroshima University and National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) can offer fresh clues about the Earth' s early chemical evolution and open a window into the first mysterious half-a-billion years of the planet.
Zircon was one of the first minerals to crystallise when the Earth's crust was being formed out of molten magma during the Hadean age, according to geologists. It is hard and chemically stable, making it resistant to weathering.
A senior geologist, who was part of the study, said the discovery of the Hadean zircon in Telangana indicated that the Earth' s early history could be found hidden in rocks in India. "This is significant. Further study will help us understand the chemical and physical conditions, including the presence of water, in the first few hundred million years of the earth," Presidency geology professor Sankar Bose said.
The only discovery older than the recent one in India was in the tonalitic rocks of the Kendujhar district of Odisha in 2018. That find was estimated to be more than 4.2 billion years old. Zircon, a little more than 4 billion years old, has previously been found in Kerala's Wayanad (in 2016) and from the river Baitarani in Odisha (in 2018). The earth's oldest zircon (about 4.4 billion years) was found in Western Australia's Jack Hill.
Many other minerals and rocks from that era have perished, say geologists, but zircon has survived the test of time because of its extreme physical and chemical resilience. That is why the mineral is called one of the most reliable timekeepers of the earth's history.
Select the correct option based on the following statements.
A. Zircon is called one of the most reliable timekeepers of the earth's history.
B. Zircon was one of the first minerals to crystallise when the Earth's crust was being formed out of molten magma.
1
Both A and B are true, and B is the correct reason for A.
2
A is true, and B is false.
3
Both A and B are true, but B is not the correct reason for A.
4
A is false, and B is true.
5
Question Not Attempted