Geodynamic Processes
...shaping and reshaping our Earth
The continental crust is 20-80 km thick and comprises nearly 40% of the Earth's surface area. The physical and chemical evolution of our planet, driven by plate tectonics and plume activity over this time, is recorded within this crust. Crust older than four billion years is exceptionally rare, thus understanding the mechanisms of continental crustal growth and their relation to the evolution of the mantle over billions of years of Earth's history is a fundamental task.
Key questions demanding our attention
- How and when did plate tectonics initiate the Earth's crust?
- How has the Earth's crust and mantle evolved through time?
- What controlled the development of Earth's hydrosphere-atmosphere-biosphere system?
- How are associated chemical elements recycled through time?
- How did life on Earth originate?
- How did it influence the evolution of environmental conditions through time?
