The Oldest Rocks on Earth

A Search for the Origins of Our World

Simon Lamb

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English

Columbia University Press
27 January 2026

Mathematics & Sciences; Historical geology; The Earth: natural history general

Earth has existed for an immense period of time-an almost unimaginable 4.6 billion years. If we ventured far enough into the past, would we reach a time when our planet was fundamentally different? Did it always have landscapes like those we see today, sculpted by wind, rain, and the forces of plate tectonics? When did Earth turn into the distinctive ""blue planet"" where life could emerge and evolve?

Geologist Simon Lamb shows that the key to answering these questions lies in ancient rocks from the days when the planet was young. His research in remote southern Africa looks at some of the oldest known rocks-some more than 3.5 billion years old-which have survived unfathomable spans of geological time. He takes readers on a journey of scientific discovery, walking-and sometimes diving-through landscapes from the time of the earliest known forms of life. Lamb unearths a violent world of natural disasters and climate change in the deep ocean, along ancient shorelines, and amid rising mountains. In so doing, he shows how geologists work and think, and how they read rocks and decipher what they tell us of the past. Finding the foundations of our world, The Oldest Rocks on Earth sheds light on why Earth is the only planet known to harbor life and what this might tell us about our future.

By: Simon Lamb
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9780231222235
ISBN 10: 0231222238
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 27 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Preface Act I 1. Some Beginnings 2. Makhonjwa Mountains Act II 3. World of Oceans 4. On the Edge 5. Shifting Landscapes Interlude 6. King Solomon’s Mines Act III 7. The Face of the Earth 8. A Partner for Life Glossary Further Reading Index

Simon Lamb is adjunct professor of geophysics at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. He is the author of Devil in the Mountain: A Search for the Origin of the Andes (2004) and coauthor of Earth Story: The Forces That Have Shaped Our Planet (1998). Lamb has been a consultant, producer, or director of a number of BBC science documentaries.

Reviews for The Oldest Rocks on Earth: A Search for the Origins of Our World

An entertaining and instructional overview of geology and paleontology with a specific focus on the origin of planet Earth and the first steps in Earth’s history. The Oldest Rocks on Earth provides a glimpse into how scientists work to unravel geologic history. -- Nora Noffke, Old Dominion University In this brilliant narrative, Lamb intertwines deep thinking about geology with his own experiences as a young graduate student working in remote Africa. He breathes new life into earth sciences throughout the book, connecting the mysteries of early Earth with present-day issues of climate change and human evolution. -- Tim Stern, fellow of the American Geophysical Union