100 Million Years of Earth History Animated in Unprecedented Detail
New animations of the Earth's surface over the past 100 million years show the movements of tectonic plates, erosion, and sediment flow. The model provides a more complete understanding of the Earth's surface and how it has evolved over time. The researchers found that the rate of sediment movement across the globe was likely much larger than what scientists believe based on observation, probably because the sedimentary record is fragmented. The model could be used to test hypotheses regarding the origin of life on Earth.