Archean Keel-Drip Tectonics (IMAGE)

Harvard University

Archean Keel-Drip Tectonics

Caption

An artistic cross-section through forming crust approximately 3-4 billion years ago. The presence or absence of plate tectonics during this time is a topic of vigorous scientific debate. A study led by Harvard geologists has found evidence that the crust moved quickly over Earth's surface in the deep past, a hallmark of modern plate tectonics. This suggests that plate motion could have been a meaningful process in early Earth history.

Credit

Alec Brenner, Harvard University

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