The Origins of Plate Tectonics

The first in a two-part EARTH series explores the timeline of a planetary process that is literally earth-shattering.

Plate tectonics has been a centerpiece of earth science for decades, but Earth didn’t always have tectonic plates. As the planet coalesced from cosmic dust approximately 4.6 billion years ago, it had a single, unbroken lithosphere. So how and when did the plates break apart and begin their seemingly never-ending round of musical chairs?

Recent advances in several areas of geoscience are helping us tackle those questions. New technologies and improved theoretical understanding have paved the way for models that can simulate the cycling of key elements through Earth’s churning interior. Today, we’re getting a better picture than ever before of convection deep inside Earth, which provides hints to the history of mm that tg

Read the full story, now online at https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/when-and-how-did-plate-tectonics-begin-e

Tune in next month for part two in this series.

The June issue of EARTH is now available online. Read how sailors used fish oil to calm the seas in a daring 1883 rescue and how that effort is changing our understanding of ocean wave dynamics. Or read about the geology in everyday objects and why it’s crucial for homeowners to know the difference between marble and quartzite. For these stories and more, subscribe to EARTH