Privileged Planet: subduction started very early (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, March 31, 2021, 23:59 (1334 days ago) @ David Turell

New research with Australian ancient rocks:

https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth-sciences/ancient-rocks-carry-secrets-of-earths-first-c...

"A new study of the famous iron-red rocks in Western Australia’s arid Pilbara region has revealed that the formation of Earth’s first continents occurred in a different way than originally thought.

"The research, published in the journal Nature, sought to understand how the granite that made up the Earth’s earliest continents at the end of the Archaean eon (some 2.5 billion years ago) was formed. Critically, the researchers wanted to find where the water required for the granite’s formation came from.

"To understand what early history Earth may have been like, the researchers tested the variation of oxygen isotope composition of zircon and compared this with the geochemistry of the rocks from Pilbara.

"They found that the type of granite present could not have come from the sky.

"The study proposes that rather than coming from above, the water came from hydrated near-surface basalt rocks that were circulated into the Earth’s mantle through the process of overturn of the crust.

"If this is correct, it means that rock formation processes in Earth’s early history were incredibly different from today.

"Under these strange conditions, this mantle water may have been instrumental in forming the continents during Earth’s early years."

Comment: Now we know subduction started very early to make this planet just perfect for life. God doesn't always waste time. Sometimes He seems to but that is a humanizing complaint about Him. His timing is obviously what He prefers since He is always in total control. And that easily explains shy God gave us a big brain much earlier than its full use finally happened. Why deny that God knows what He is doing.