The evolution of the earliest marine habitats on Earth

The origin and the evolution of life on Earth and other planets in our solar system is a fundamental question for mankind and therefore highly relevant to scientists of diverse research fields. One of the key questions in this context is how our planet and its environments became habitable for the earliest life and evolved though time. The project The evolution of the earliest marine habitats and their relation to geodynamical processes on Early Earth under the lead of principle investigator Sebastian Viehmann, PhD aims at the reconstruction of the earliest marine environments and the evolution of continental landmasses on Earth 3800 million to 2950 million years ago. This project investigates (I) how marine environments became habitable for the earliest life on our Earth, (II) which sources delivered elements and important nutrients into the earliest marine habitats on Earth and (III) how the geodynamical evolution of the earliest continents affected ancient seawater chemistry. Sebastian Viehmann tackles these questions as part of a three- year FWF stand-alone project in conjunction with Prof. Dr. Christian Koeberl at the Department of Lithospheric Research (University of Vienna) and in co-operation with Prof. Dr. Carsten Münker (University of Cologne). The research team applies an interdisciplinary and innovative approach of geochemistry and petrography, using state-of-the-art high- resolution electron microscopy, clean laboratory facilities and high-resolution and high- precision mass spectrometry to analyse major and trace elements as well as Hf and Nd isotopes in marine chemical sediments. This unique combination of scientific competence in the field of early Earth evolution with the available infrastructure will significantly improve the current understanding of the evolution of marine habitats on Early Earth and allow establishing a novel geochemical proxy for weathering and erosion processes on the earliest continents. This innovative project will shed light on the geodynamic processes operative and providing the elements necessary to sustain the habitability of the earliest marine habitats on our planet.