Origin and Evolution of Earth Research Questions for a Changing Planet (2008) / Chapter Skim
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The plate tectonics model, including its corollaries Until the 1960s, geological science was built almost of mantle convection, seafloor spreading, and continenentirely on the study of rocks and landforms on the tal drift, not only explained the pattern of earthquakes, continents; little was known about the seafloor. The volcanoes, and mountain ranges but also eventually grand research questions of the early 20th century provided possible mechanisms to create the continents were heavily influenced by this continent-centric view, and seafloor, to gradually shift Earth's climate over geoas well as by a focus on mineral and water resources logical time, and to influence the course of biological and discoveries in paleontology.
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Our definition of now see into minerals and discern individual atoms, grand questions was partly determined by the small measure the properties of rocks at the immense pres- number requested in the charge, which led us to aim for sures and temperatures inside Earth, watch continents 7 to 10 questions, and partly by a desire for the quesdrift and mountains grow in real time, and understand tions to meet at least two of the following criteria: how organisms evolve and interact with Earth based on their DNA. We have also been able to extract new • it transcends the boundaries of a narrow subfield information from meteorites that tells us about how of geological and planetary science; planets form and even about how the interiors of stars • it deals with eternal issues, such as the origins of work.
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This collision added so much heat arching questions we believe to be driving modern to Earth that the entire planet melted. Little is known Earth science, we found that these questions can be about how this magma soup differentiated into the grouped into four broad themes.
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The questions regarding plate tectonics now tors that can change climate, from the slowly changing have less to do with the soundness of the theory than luminosity of the Sun to the building of new mounwith why Earth has plate tectonics in the first place tain ranges and changes in atmospheric composition, and how closely it is related to other unique aspects of Earth's surface temperature seems to have remained Earth -- the abundant water, the existence of continents within relatively narrow limits for most of the past and oceans, and the existence of life. We do not know 4 billion years.
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Continuing challenges are to ultimate objective -- to produce mathematical models deepen our understanding of how fault ruptures start that can predict the performance of natural systems and stop, to improve our simulations of how much far into the future -- is still out of reach but critical to shaking can be expected near large earthquakes, and to making informed decisions about the future of the land increase the warning time once a dangerous earthquake and resources that support us.
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