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Earth’s Magnetic Field: Old or Very, Very Old?

Scientists disagree about how long our planet has sportedthe magnetic armor that makes it habitable.

By Sarah Scoles
Jun 1, 2016 5:00 AMNov 12, 2019 5:11 AM
DSC-CR0816_09.jpg
A close-up of a zircon crystal, a type of mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. | John Valley/University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Zircon crystals found in the Jack Hills of Australia could preserve the earliest evidence of Earth's magnetic field. | E.B. Watson/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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