"Unveiling the Origins of Earth's First Continents: Researchers Identify Source Rocks"

Geoscientists have discovered the source rocks of the first continents, revealing a revised origin story that relies solely on internal geological forces within oceanic plateaus during the Archean Eon. The study, published in Nature Communications, identifies a specific set of trace elements that allowed researchers to trace the melt compositions back to their initial state and source, likely a type of gabbro. This discovery challenges the long-standing theory that Archean granitoid rocks were formed in Earth's first subduction zones and marks the start of plate tectonics, providing a new understanding of how the continents developed.