Study sites (IMAGE) Dartmouth College Caption Researchers used thermochronometric data from four North American locations to determine the cause of the “Great Unconformity”—a massive loss of rock about 700 million years ago. Credit Figure by Kalin McDannell. Usage Restrictions Credit must be given to the creator. Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted. License CC BY-NC-ND Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.