New research suggests that Earth's first continental crust formed due to intense cosmic bombardment during the Hadean eon, which kept the early crust hot and thin enough to become buoyant. This theory challenges existing models by proposing that asteroid impacts were the primary driver for the emergence of silica-rich continents around 4 billion years ago. The study addresses the scarcity of geological evidence from this era by linking physical conditions to impact dynamics.
Background
The origin of Earth's continental crust remains a subject of debate among geologists due to the lack of preserved geological records from the first billion years of Earth's history. Previous theories have focused on plate tectonics and mantle plumes, but this new hypothesis introduces extraterrestrial bombardment as a key factor.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Jul 5, 2026 at 06:55 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10