The Role of Plate Tectonics in the Formation of Earth's First Continents
New research suggests that plate tectonics, even in a primitive form, may have existed 4 billion years ago and played a role in the formation of Earth's continental crust. The study conducted high-pressure-temperature melting experiments on primitive oceanic plateau basalts and found that continental crust could not form at pressures below 1.4 GigaPascals (GPa), indicating that such magmas formed during convergent subduction zones. The researchers propose that gases released from volcanic activity during this time, such as carbon monoxide and methane, may have contributed to the initiation of life on Earth. This study also provides insights into the role of plate tectonics in the formation of continental crust on other planets.