Geological age of planets: scientists reveal secrets of its determination
Recent advances in geochronology, or rock dating, allow geologists to measure radioactive decay and assign very precise absolute ages to geological events. In another study, scientists found isotopic evidence of a sudden switch to primitive plate tectonics dating back about 3.8 billion years. The discovery suggests that a simple form of subduction had begun at least in one place on the planet by that time. And a tree-lined African lake has provided data on the Earth’s magnetic field for the past 150,000 years.
New research describes how the Earth’s surface moves, the speed of Earth’s plates and the history of their movement
Earth’s plate tectonics traced back to a “tipping point” 3.2 billion years ago. The Earth’s surface is constantly changing today, with tectonic plates shifting and moving, forming mountain ranges, ripping apart the seafloor, and causing massive earthquakes. Geophysicist Dave Stegman of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla and colleagues used observational data and computer models to develop a new formula for how the speeds of Earth’s plates depend on the size and edges of subduction zones. About 200 million years ago, the continent of Pangea broke apart into two huge pieces, with the supercontinent Laurasia to the north and Gondwana to the south.
The Indian, Eurasian and Arabian continental tectonic plates are still converging and active
The massive tectonic collision that is causing the Himalayas to rise could also split Tibet apart, with the Indian Plate potentially breaking in two, sliding under the Eurasian Plate and tearing Tibet apart. The colorful swirls and streaks that characterize China’s Rainbow Mountains would go unnoticed if not for the massive tectonic collision that created the Himalayas. Also, the Arabian and Eurasian Plates are still converging, and recent research suggests that a chunk of oceanic crust that separated the two plates before they collided is now being torn apart under Iraq and Iran.
Oceanographers have explored the area around the Nazca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean and discovered a huge underwater mountain
Oceanographers led by the Schmidt Ocean Institute exploring the depths of the Pacific Ocean discovered a huge seamount in September 2024. The 3,109-meter-high seamount is a major find. It is one of many discoveries made during a 28-day survey in late summer by oceanographers on the research vessel Falkor. But satellites are no less important in exploring the ocean depths — satellites are mapping the Earth’s ocean floor in unprecedented detail.
Scientists have discovered an ancient ocean floor between the Earth’s mantle and outer core
A University of Alabama-led study has previously been seen as only a hint, but it shows that ancient ocean floors may have spanned the entire core-mantle boundary. If the new earthquake data is correct, we will need to add another layer to our understanding of the Earth. This layer, which fits neatly between the Earth’s mantle and outer core, is thought to be an ancient ocean floor that now reconstructs our view of the core-mantle boundary.
The Earth’s Crust Doesn’t Stop – Scientists Discover Old and New Continents
Scientists have discovered an unexpected new continent hiding beneath Greenland. Zealandia, thought to be a candidate for Earth’s eighth continent, has been almost completely submerged by the sea. The new ocean could split Africa into two continents. Doggerland: Before it was inundated by a tsunami 8,000 years ago, this landmass connected Britain and continental Europe. Archaeologists and citizen scientists have discovered a number of artifacts from Doggerland over the years, including a deer bone with an arrowhead and a fragment of a human skull.
Earth’s plate tectonics began earlier than 4 billion years ago
New research suggests that plate tectonics began earlier than 4 billion years ago — shortly after Earth formed. New research suggests that plate tectonics, which causes earthquakes, mountain formation and the separation of continents, may have begun when Earth was just forming — much earlier than many scientists thought.
The earth’s crust is unstable
The Earth is starting to shake because of global warming. Tectonic plates are moving apart regardless of warming: the giant tectonic plate under the Indian Ocean is splitting apart, the Dead Sea Fault in the Middle East is moving about twice as fast, or 0.2 inches (0.4 cm) per year, while the San Andreas Fault in California is moving about 10 times faster, about 0.7 inches (1.8 cm) per year.
Earthquakes continue to rage along the Pacific coast
A strong earthquake occurred off the coast of Sakhalin on August 10, a powerful earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan on August 8, and an earthquake occurred off the coast of the Southern Kuril Islands on July 30. A strong earthquake occurred in Taiwan on April 3, which was the most powerful on the island in the last 25 years.