Primitive Plate Tectonics That Existed 4 Billion Years Ago May Helped Life to Form on Earth [Study]

The origin of life on Earth has been a mystery, with scientists baffled as to how the transition from inorganic to organic matter created the simple life forms and complex ones that we see today.

For several billion years, Earth's lithosphere, the solid and outer part of our planet, has been a home for both terrestrial and marine organisms.

This said layer is supported by the continental crust, which forms the geological continents and continental shelves.

Since Earth formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago, our planet was in chaotic conditions when the initial formation of life occurred due to various chemical, environmental, and climatic conditions, as what scientists believe in.

Living organisms, from the largest animals down to the smallest creatures, have long been confined under the perspective of evolution, particularly how single-celled organisms turned to multi-cellular ones.

However, several theories remain surrounding unknown biological mechanisms that led to the formation of life prior to evolution.

Life on Earth

Our knowledge of life and evolution progressed since Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace published their work about the new evolutionary theory in 1858.

However, there are still gaps to form a working theory as to how life emerged from nothing since the "Big Bang" and the expansion of the universe, which led to the formation of galaxies and solar systems, including a habitable planet like Earth.

Life on Earth has always been associated with carbon dioxide, oxygen, and other elements.

Sunlight and temperature have also been linked to the origin of life on our planet.

Now, a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience on August 24 suggested that primitive tectonic plates may have contributed to the initial emergence of life on Earth.

Primitive Plate Tectonics

Based on the study, the continental crust that we live on mentioned earlier may have been caused by a primitive type of plate tectonics that existed between 3.6 to 4 billion years ago.

Before arriving at their conclusion, the research team involved in the study conducted high-pressure temperature melting experiments at oceanic plateau analog for the early basaltic crust.

The results of their method support previous evidence that Earth's earliest continental crust is consistent with subduction, a geological process wherein the oceanic and continental crusts of the lithosphere are recycled into the Earth's mantle.

Continental Crust

In relation to the study, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) explained that the continental crust consists of granitic rocks, composed of lightweight minerals like quartz and feldspar.

Meanwhile, the oceanic crust is made up of basaltic rocks, which are denser and heavier.

Both oceanic and continental crusts or lithosphere are part of a tectonic plate that are massive yet irregular-shaped rocks, spanning from a few hundred to thousands of kilometers, the USGS added.

Prior to the Nature Geoscience study, scientists initially though that the entire planet is covered by one, complete lithospheric crust.