""With this study, we're able to say 3.5 billion years ago, we can see plates moving around on the Earth surface.""
""The Pilbara area contains evidence of some of the earliest known life, stromatolites and microbialite rocks deposited by single-celled organisms such as cyanobacteria.""
Geoscientists have discovered the oldest direct evidence of plate movement on Earth, dating back 3.5 billion years. This finding suggests that tectonic activity began earlier than previously thought. The research focused on the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia, which contains ancient rocks from the Archean Eon. These rocks provide insights into early microbial life and the conditions of the planet during that time. The study indicates that plate movements, although not identical to modern tectonics, played a significant role in shaping the early Earth.
Read at Harvard Gazette
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