UT geology professor, Chris Fedo has been studying the oldest rocks on Earth for over 15 years. His research has unearthed some interesting theories. Namely that rock formations from the Archean eon, the first two billion years of Earth's history, are consistent throughout the globe.

Specifically, Fedo has been studying banded iron formations, or BIF, which are rocks made from alternating layers of iron-rich matter (magnetite) and silica (chert). The oldest of these rocks, 3.6 billion years old, are only found in southwest Greenland, which is exactly where Fedo travels to conduct his research.

People have staked their entire research careers on this one spot in Greenland. It can get pretty intense in the field.-Chris Fedo, professor of geologyFedo is currently part of a team comprised of other professors and grad students who study the banded iron formations from Greenland. The National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and the American Chemical Society have funded the team's research.

The team is made up of a variety of specialists. Fedo focuses mainly on sedimentology and geochemistry. Others on the team specialize in areas as general as geology to more specific fields like paleobiology, the study of biological paleontology. The team has studied several questions when dealing with the BIF rocks.

In fact, one piece of rock found near the BIF site in Greenland has caused quite a bit of controversy for almost a decade. The debate hinges upon whether or not the rock is even BIF in the first place, potentially making it the oldest of all known rocks in the world.

"We're still hammering that one out," said Fedo. "Personally, I don't think it's a banded iron formation, but there are too many little things for me to judge even now. People have staked their entire research careers on this one spot in Greenland. It can get pretty intense in the field."

Fedo has been teaching at UT for about three years after 12 years at George Washington University. Though he has to teach the broad history of Earth, Fedo can't help but bring in a couple pieces of BIF from his collection to show his students.

"I had never even heard of banded iron formations before taking the class," said Jonathan Kahler, sophomore in Fedo's Geology 102 course, "but as I learned about them, I became fascinated with learning about them, especially since they're the oldest rocks on our earth."

Fedo has studied these ancient rocks for quite a number of years and does not anticipate that his research will end any time soon. In fact, he even believes that the research will be continued well after he's gone from the study.