The Age of Plate Tectonics: When Did It Begin?

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In summary, Plate tectonics began a few billion years ago. It is thought to have started with the Hadean era, which was a time when the Earth was in a different state than it is now. Mars did not have plate tectonics, and there is no evidence that it ever did.
  • #1
zankaon
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When did plate tectonics start? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics" [Broken]
 
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  • #2
zankaon said:
When did plate tectonics start? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics" [Broken]

That's a bit of an open question; but it seems there are indications that it began very early; as much as 4 billion years ago. This is associated with new ideas about the "Hadean" (Hellish) era; it may not have been as diabolical as previously thought.

Here's an article from the NYT which discusses these ideas: A New Picture of the Early Earth. The relevant science article is
  • Hopkins, M. et. al. (2008) "Low heat flow inferred from >4 Gyr zircons suggests Hadean plate boundary interactions" in Nature 456, 493-496 (27 November 2008) doi:10.1038/nature07465

Cheers -- sylas
 
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  • #3
zankaon said:
When did plate tectonics start? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics" [Broken]

Perhaps a little at a time. Might south Pacific, with any example of colliding oceanic crust, with subducting, be suggestive? That is for 2 Archean brittle pieces colliding, with one somewhat cooler, and hence denser, might subduction occur? Might such localized process be occurring planet wide? Of course one could have ongoing mantle differentiating.
 
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  • #4
zankaon said:
When did plate tectonics start? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics" [Broken]

Is perhaps Mars an example wherein plate tectonics never started? Might any uniformity (i.e. no layering) to Vallis Marineris walls be consistent with no plate tectonics there? Is Mar's major volcano Olympus Mons consistent with no plate motion on Mars? Might uniqueness of 1 major volcano on Mars relate to uniqueness of Hawaiian plume? That is, might respective persistence suggest an ancient impact, and ongoing active deep conduit system? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars" [Broken]
 
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  • #5
zankaon said:
Is perhaps Mars an example wherein plate tectonics never started?

Actually, Mars likely did have plate tectonics when it was young with a significantly molten interior. However, since Mars is so much smaller than earth, it has cooled off and there is no longer the convection necessary to move the plates.

NASA scientists have discovered additional evidence that Mars once underwent plate tectonics, slow movement of the planet's crust, like the present-day Earth. A new map of Mars' magnetic field made by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft reveals a world whose history was shaped by great crustal plates being pulled apart or smashed together.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2005/mgs_plates.html
 
  • #6
If one thinks of Earth and Mars as heat engines, then the work they try to do is force x distance. In other words, resulting in plate motion. However the Mars heat engine (.3 Earth mass) would not seem sufficient to result in plate motion. The very large size of Olympus Mons would seem consistent with no plate motion.
 
  • #7
... it would need to be correct or.. no cigar.
 

1. When was the theory of plate tectonics first proposed?

The theory of plate tectonics was first proposed in the early 20th century by Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist and geophysicist. However, it was not widely accepted until the 1960s and 1970s when new evidence, such as seafloor spreading and magnetic anomalies, supported the theory.

2. What is the evidence for plate tectonics?

The main evidence for plate tectonics includes the fit of the continents, evidence of ancient climates and fossils matching across continents, seafloor spreading, magnetic anomalies, and the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes along plate boundaries.

3. How do plates move in plate tectonics?

Plates move due to convection currents in the Earth's mantle. These currents are caused by heat from the Earth's core and the cooling of the mantle. As the hot mantle rises and cools, it sinks back down, creating a continuous cycle that drags the plates along with it.

4. When did plate tectonics begin on Earth?

The exact timing of when plate tectonics began on Earth is still debated among scientists. Some evidence suggests that it may have started as early as 4 billion years ago, while others believe it began around 2.5 billion years ago. However, the widespread acceptance of plate tectonics as a theory only occurred in the 20th century.

5. How does plate tectonics affect the Earth?

Plate tectonics plays a critical role in shaping the Earth's surface and influencing geological processes such as mountain building, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. It also plays a role in the cycling of nutrients and the distribution of resources on the planet.

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