Exactly when and how plate tectonics started, however, is a matter of debate. Now, in a study published March 19 in the journal Science, rock samples from Western Australia hint that the Earth’s crust may have been moving as early as 3.48 billion years ago, roughly one billion years after our planet formed.

A new analysis of meteorite isotopes challenges long-held ideas about Earth’s origins, suggesting our planet may have formed almost entirely from nearby material rather than distant sources. Planetary scientists have long debated the origin of the material that formed Earth.

Ice cores, tree rings, and satellite data converge on a striking truth: Earth’s rapid changes today are unlike anything seen in human history. When most people hear the term Earth science, they think of fossils tucked into stone, or perhaps the study of ...

Hundreds of millions of years ago, Earth’s magnetic field behaved in a way that has long baffled scientists, showing wild and seemingly chaotic shifts unlike anything seen before or since. A new study suggests this chaos may actually hide a deeper pattern: instead of random fluctuations,

Olivine, the most common mineral in the upper 400 km (about 250 miles) of Earth’s interior, has long been studied for how it deforms. Scientists have identified two primary directions of dislocation movement, labeled “a” and “c.” A third direction, known as “b,” has traditionally been considered uncommon and less important.

Add Futurism (opens in a new tab) Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Before Earth, there was “proto Earth,” a primitive hunk of rock that formed ...