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Plate Tectonics May Be the Surprising Solution to the Mystery of Earth’s Origins

Earth's surface is a turbulent place. Mountains rise, continents merge and split, and earthquakes shake the ground. All of these processes result from plate tectonics, the movement of enormous chunks of Earth's crust.

This movement may be why life exists here. Earth is the only known planet with plate tectonics and the only known planet with life. Most scientists think that's not a coincidence. By dragging huge chunks of crust into the mantle, Earth's middle layer, plate tectonics pulls carbon from the planet's surface and atmosphere, stabilizing the climate. It also pushes life-fostering minerals and molecules toward the surface. All of those factors add up to a place where life thrives from ocean abysses to towering peaks.