Earth's crust billions of years ago (IMAGE)

University of Rochester

Earth's crust billions of years ago

Caption

Plate tectonics involves the horizontal movement and interaction of large plates on Earth’s surface. New research indicates that mobile plate tectonics—thought to be necessary for the creation of a habitable planet—was not occurring on Earth 3.9 billion years ago.

Credit

University of Rochester illustration / Michael Osadciw

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