Ancient Australian rocks reveal Earth's early water recycling before plate tectonics
Researchers analyzing 3.1‑billion‑year‑old pillow lavas from Western Australia’s Pilbara Craton show the mantle contained as much water as today’s arc volcanic settings, indicating an early deep water cycle. They propose 'dripduction'—a process where soft, water‑rich crust sagged and sank into the mantle, delivering water and triggering volcanism long before plate tectonics governed subduction. This finding demonstrates Earth was recycling surface water well before modern plate tectonics began.