When did plate tectonics begin? Scientists find new clues

Key Points:

• Scientists have found the earliest direct evidence of plate tectonics on Earth, indicating that tectonic plates were shifting as early as 3.5 billion years ago during the Archean Eon, when early microbial life existed.
• The research, led by Harvard's Roger Fu and published in Science, analyzed 900 rock samples from Western Australia's Pilbara region using paleomagnetism to determine ancient latitudinal shifts and rotations of Earth's crust.
• The study revealed that parts of the Earth's lithosphere were segmented and mobile, contradicting previous theories that suggested the early Earth had a single, unbroken crustal shell.
• By comparing data from Pilbara and the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa, researchers demonstrated relative motion between different crustal blocks, providing crucial evidence for the early onset of plate tectonics.
• Experts highlight the significance of this high-quality paleomagnetic data in understanding Earth's geological history and the conditions that supported the emergence of early life.