plate tectonics
When did the First Continents Appear in the Universe?
On Earth, continents are likely necessary to support life. Continents 'float' on top of the Earth's viscous mantle, and heat…
Did Life Need Plate Tectonics to Emerge?
It's widely accepted that Earth's plate tectonics are a key factor in life's emergence. Plate tectonics allows heat to move…
The Pacific Ocean Will be Gone in 300 Million Years as the World's Continents Drift and Combine
A new study determined that the world's next supercontinent, "Amasia," will form between two and three hundred million years.
How did Earth go From Molten Hellscape to Habitable Planet?
Earth formed from the Sun's protoplanetary disk about 4.6 billion years ago. In the beginning, it was a molten spheroid…
Eggshell Planets Have a Thin Brittle Crust and No Mountains or Tectonics
Planets without plate tectonics are unlikely to be habitable. But currently, we've never seen the surface of an exoplanet to…
A Crater on Venus Indicates the Planet Hasn’t Been Volcanic for a Long Time
Venus may not have had Earth-like tectonic plates or volcanism for the last billion years, according to a new study.…
There Could Be Carbon-Rich Exoplanets Made Of Diamonds
Scientists are getting better at understanding exoplanets. We now know that they're plentiful, and that they can even orbit dead…
Anak Krakatau Erupted a Few Days Ago. Here’s What it Looked Like From Space
In between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra lies the Sunda Strait. And in the Sunda Strait lies the…
Giant Meteor Impacts Might Have Triggered Early Earth’s Plate Tectonics
A new study by an Australian-US team has found that a large impact that happened ca. 3.2 billion years ago…
It Looks Like Plate Tectonics Aren’t Required to Support Life
According to a new study, it is possible that extra-solar planets with no plate tectonics might be capable of supporting…