Zircon evidence for the Eoarchean (~3.7 Ga) crustal remnant in the Sulu Orogen, eastern China

Zircon provides one of the best records of the formation and reworking of continental crust in the early Earth. However, Hadean to Eoarchean zircons are relatively scarce worldwide. Here we present the first report of relict Eoarchean magmatic zircons in granitic gneisses from the Sulu Orogen, eastern China. Based on internal structures, trace element contents, and U–Pb ages, we identified four groups of zircon domains with U–Pb ages of ~ 3.7 Ga...