Earth is currently the only planet known to harbor life—thanks in large part due to the operation of plate tectonics, which cycles critical biogeochemical elements and maintains a planetary thermostat. Subduction—the destructive force of plate tectonics that pushes one plate beneath another—is the most telltale sign of plate tectonics’ great recycling program.
Click here for original story, Earth’s oldest-known rocks provide clues about early tectonics
Source: Phys.org