Evolution of the Earth, artwork. The Earth's internal structure is shown in the insets, with the corresponding state of the Earth's crust across top.
Evolution of the Earth, artwork. The Earth's internal structure is shown in the insets, with the corresponding state of the Earth's crust across top. At left, from to billion years ago, the mantle only had weak convection currents (dotted lines) and a fluid core-mantle boundary. The surface was cratered and barren. At centre, from billion years ago, soil and oceans form. Post-perovskite forms the core-mantle boundary, reinforcing convection cells. Volcanism begins. At right, 1 billion years ago, convection within the iron core forms a magnetic field. Plate tectonics begins, and mountains, an atmosphere, and life form.
Size: 4181px × 4185px
Photo credit: © CLAUS LUNAU/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: activity, artwork, atmosphere, barren, boundary, cell, cells, change, changing, cmb, convection, cool, cooling, core, core-mantle, crust, currents, develop, developing, diagram, earth, evolve, evolving, field, geological, geology, historical, history, illustration, inset, insets, life, magnetic, mantle, mountain, planet, post-perovskite, postperovskite, prehistoric, prehistory, science, sequence, series, soil, tectonic, timeline, underground, vegetation, volcanic, volcanism, volcano
