Plate Tectonics
Harvard geoscientists have found the oldest direct evidence of plate tectonics on Earth, dating back 3.5 billion years. Analysis of ancient rocks from western Australia reveals early crustal drift and rotation. The discovery, published in Science, challenges notions of a rigid early planetary surface.
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The breakup of the ancient supercontinent Nuna around 1.5 billion years ago reshaped Earth's surface, reducing volcanic carbon emissions and expanding shallow seas that fostered oxygen-rich environments. Scientists from the University of Sydney and the University of Adelaide link this tectonic event to the rise of early eukaryotic life. Their study challenges the notion of a stagnant 'Boring Billion' period in Earth's history.