The Azo Age was the oldest and longest-running stage in the development of planet Earth. The word azoic is of Greek origin and means "lifeless" or "lifeless."
That name was given to the stage that elapsed since the Earth was formed until the beginning of the geological era, in which the first rocks were formed and the first signs of life were given.
Much has been speculated about the origin of the Earth; what is scientifically proven is that it originated approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
The azoic era is estimated to have lasted between 3,000 and 3,300 million years.
History
The formation of the Earth began with the appearance of a huge, incandescent, boiling mass.
The temperature of that mass was very high, so the appearance of any kind of manifestation of life was impossible.
Due to the non-existence of the atmosphere as it is known today, the solar rays fell directly on the incandescent mass, thus increasing its temperature and preventing the surface from cooling.
The activity of the volcanic lava was continuous and very active; great clouds of poisonous gases emanated from it.
There was not any water. As time went by, this situation changed due to the presence of water vapor, which resulted after the eruptions of volcanic lava.
This water vapor cooled and was deposited on the surface in a liquid state. Thus begins the formation of the first seas and oceans. The condensation of water vapor gives rise to rain.
The beginning of the end of the Azo era
The presence of hydrogen and oxygen from water, combined with methane gas and the different gases emanating from volcanic lava, transformed the primitive atmosphere of the Earth.
The new atmosphere was more like the one that exists today, but still poisonous and lifeless.
The oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide began a long and continuous cooling process of the incandescent mass, which took about 1 billion years.
From this process begins the formation of a solid surface with rocks, water deposits and a warm temperature produced by solar radiation, characteristics of the earth's surface.
During this era the deepest layer of the Earth's crust is formed. In this there are igneous rocks that do not have fossils, such as marble, granite, quartzite and other metamorphic rocks.
In the Azoic era, the greatest changes in the Earth's relief occur due to internal causes, such as volcanic eruptions and the folding of the earth's layers, and external causes, such as sedimentation and erosion of the earth's surface.
Large mountain formations and oceans appear. The appearance of water, and therefore oxygen, gives rise to the first manifestations of life that end the Azoic era.
References
- Comellas, JL (2008). The earth. A different planet. Rialp editions.
- Green, K. (30 of 09 of 2016). The Archaean Rocks of Western Australia ”. Retrieved on October 18, 2017, from tandfonline.com
- Olano, O. (2014). ENIGMAS I. Lulu.com.
- Pandey, G. (2010). Biocultural Evolution. Concept Publishing Company.
- Stewart, L. (2012). THE BIG-BANG OF GENESIS. Bubok.
- Vázquez Segura, M. d., Lugo, C., Gomez, & Consuelo. (2001). Historia Universal 1 / Universal History 1: De La Antiguedad al Renacimiento / From Ancient to the Renaissance. Editorial Limusa.