Oct 19, 2023 · But Earth did not always exist within this expansive universe, and it was not always a hospitable haven for life. Billions of years ago, Earth, along with the rest of our solar system, …

Oct 19, 2023 · It happened roughly 4.6 billion years ago. The formation of the sun consumed more than 99 percent of the matter in the nebula. The remaining material began to clump …

Oct 19, 2023 · Over the course of a few hundred million years, the planet began to cool and oceans of liquid water formed. Heavy elements, like iron and nickel, began sinking toward the …

Oct 19, 2023 · Then, early life evolved in those oceans. Around three billion years ago, bacteria formed. It made oxygen during a process called photosynthesis. Oxygen began to build up in …

May 21, 2025 · Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that explains how major landforms are created as a result of Earth’s subterranean movements. The theory, which solidified in the 1960s, …

Jun 5, 2025 · By studying iron-rich chondrite meteorites, geoscientists can get a peek into the early formation of our solar system and Earth’s early core. In the lab, the most valuable tool for …

Jun 5, 2025 · Dynamic geologic forces created Earth’s crust, and the crust continues to be shaped by the planet’s movement and energy. Today, tectonic activity is responsible for the …

Jul 2, 2025 · The geological conditions that would eventually create petroleum formed millions of years ago, when plants, algae and plankton drifted in oceans and shallow seas.

Jun 5, 2025 · Sedimentary rocks are one of three main types of rocks, along with igneous and metamorphic. They are formed on or near the Earth’s surface from the compression of ocean …

Apr 4, 2025 · Fold mountains are created where two or more of Earth’s tectonic plates are pushed together, often at regions known as convergent plate boundaries and continental collision zones.