Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences awarded a $759,777 Project Grant to Harvard College effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050). This collaborative research initiative will produce scientific findings and data on the formation, evolution, and breakup of the Vaalbara Supercraton—a proposed 2.7-billion-year-old continental formation composed of the Kaapvaal and Pilbara cratons located in South Africa and Australia. The research team will deliver peer-reviewed publications, paleomagnetic measurements, zircon age and isotopic analyses, and comprehensive crustal evolution records for both cratons. These products will advance understanding of early plate tectonics processes and continent formation by integrating paleomagnetic studies with zircon analysis from sandstones and modern river samples to reconstruct the latitudinal positions and rotational histories of these ancient continental fragments.

The award supports fundamental geoscience research aligned with the program's mission to strengthen scientific understanding of Earth's integrated systems through field investigations, laboratory experiments, and theoretical studies. Products delivered will include datasets characterizing zircon compositions, paleomagnetic signatures preserved in rock samples, and reconstructed continental drift records that fill existing gaps in the geologic history of the two cratons. This research will contribute to the broader scientific knowledge base regarding the timing and mechanisms of plate tectonics initiation on Earth, a foundational process essential to continental crust creation, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation.