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Earth sciences

Earth sciences

Zircons, plate tectonics and the mystery of life

22 Aug 2023 James Dacey

Magnetic data locked in ancient crystals suggest that life may have emerged long before the Earth’s tectonic plates started moving. If the finding holds true, it would overturn the conventional notion that tectonic shifts were a pre-requisite for life, as James Dacey explains

Illustration of plate tectonics
Moving question Plate tectonics – the horizontal movement and interaction of large plates on Earth’s surface – is considered vital to sustaining life. But new research indicates it was not happening 3.4 billion years ago, long after life on Earth emerged. (Courtesy: University of Rochester/illustration by Michael Osadciw)
The ground beneath our feet may appear solid and stationary. But throughout Earth’s history, the r

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James Dacey is a multimedia journalist based in Madrid
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