Boiling rocks from the Earth’s crust tore open an ocean in Mongolia 410 million years ago

A lonely rider at Altay Mountains.

More than 400 million years ago, an upwelling of hot rock from the Earth’s mantle caused the crust in Mongolia to split apart, creating an ocean that lasted for 115 million years. The geologic history of this ocean could help researchers understand Wilson cycles, or the process by which supercontinents break apart and reassemble. These … Read more

Boiling rocks from the Earth’s crust ruptured an ocean in Mongolia 410 million years ago

A lonely rider at Altay Mountains.

More than 400 million years ago, an upwelling of hot rock from the Earth’s mantle caused the Earth’s crust in Mongolia to tear apart. This created an ocean that lasted for 115 million years. The geological history of this ocean could help researchers understand the Wilson cycles, or the process by which supercontinents break apart … Read more

Deep remnants of the Earth’s original crust discovered in Australia

Our planet was born about 4.5 billion years ago. To understand this mind-bogglingly long history, we must study rocks and the minerals from which they are made. The oldest rocks in Australia, which are among the oldest on Earth, are found in the Murchison District of Western Australia, 700 kilometers north of Perth. They have … Read more

Groundbreaking discovery: how researchers found remains of Earth’s original crust near Perth

This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source written by researcher(s) proofread OK! Dikes in Norway cut into older layered sandstone rocks. Credit: Cato Andersen/Mapillary, CC BY-SA × close to Dikes in Norway cut into older layered sandstone rocks. Credit: Cato Andersen/Mapillary, CC BY-SA Our planet was born about 4.5 … Read more

Groundbreaking discovery: how researchers found remains of Earth’s original crust near Perth

Dikes in Norway cut into older layered sandstone rocks. Credit: Cato Andersen/Mapillary, CC BY-SA Our planet was born about 4.5 billion years ago. To understand this mind-bogglingly long history, we must study rocks and the minerals from which they are made. The oldest rocks in Australia, which are among the oldest on Earth, are found … Read more

Scientists discover what created Earth’s unbreakable continents

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — The earth beneath our feet can feel solid, stable, and seemingly eternal. But the continents we call home are unique among our planetary neighbors, and their formation has long been a mystery to scientists. Now researchers think they may have uncovered a crucial piece of the puzzle: the role of ancient … Read more

Europa’s icy crust floats ‘freely’ over moon’s hidden ocean, new Juno images suggest

On September 29, 2022, NASA’s Juno spacecraft made its closest flyby of Europa, coming within 355 kilometers of the frozen surface of Jupiter’s moon. The close-up view of Europa revealed incredible details of the moon’s chaotic terrain, suggesting the icy crust is not where it once was. The images also showed a newly discovered feature … Read more