The missing 500 million: Cosmic bombardment melted Earth's first crust
SMRTR summary
Early Earth's missing 500 million years of geological history may finally have an explanation. Researchers found that intense asteroid bombardment during the Hadean eon generated roughly ten times more heat than Earth's internal sources, keeping the crust thin and molten. As impacts declined around 3.9 billion years ago, the crust thickened enough to support plate tectonics, triggering the formation of the continents we live on today.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Ars Technica.
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