#365papers for May 13, 2017
What’s it about?
The Earth didn’t always have continents. This paper explores how the planet’s first continents probably formed. The major hypotheses were that the continents formed by volcanic eruptions primarily, or by upwellings of magma that never erupted on the surface. It seems that the latter is most likely.
Why does it matter?
Understanding where the continents came from helps us understand the processes occurring inside the Earth, making it possible to possibly better predict future events.
Why did I read this?
I thought that reading this would give me something new to teach students in my introductory geology course. It did.
Penny Higgins - Storyteller • Artist • Scientist 