Moon-Forming Impact May Have Sparked Earth's Continental Drift

A study suggests that the collision between Earth and a Mars-sized object named Theia 4.5 billion years ago, which formed the moon, may have also initiated plate tectonics. Researchers propose that the impact generated the necessary heat to start tectonic activity, supported by computer simulations and geological evidence from ancient zircons in Australia. While the theory is compelling, it remains one of several hypotheses about the origin of plate tectonics.