The presence of animals brings life to Earth; however, it is plants that shape the planet, both externally and internally, a new study reveals.
Research from the University of Southampton and Queen’s University in the UK shows that the state of Earth as a “blue planet” is profoundly influenced by plants, affecting not only the detailed shape of the crust but also the coverage.
Has Earth been shaped and molded by “green energy” for 430 million years? – (Photo: SPACE).
According to Sci-News, scientists assessed the isotopic signatures of zircon grains formed from subduction zones, where marine sediments are transported into the mantle, revealing how today’s landscapes were formed.
This is all related to the explosion of terrestrial plants that occurred about 430 million years ago, during the Silurian period.
“Plants caused fundamental changes to the living system, creating meandering rivers and muddy wetlands, as well as thickening the soil” – explained Dr. Christophe Spencer from Queen’s University.
This change is linked to the development of plant root systems, which helped create a massive amount of mud by breaking down rocks, stabilizing river channels that had held this mud for long periods.
This affects the tectonic processes: Rivers deposit mud into the ocean, which is then drawn into the molten interior of Earth at subduction zones, where continental crust melts to form new rock.
The type of rock closely related to this plant explosion retains historical evidence in zircon grains, revealing the past. As a result, scientists have found compelling evidence of significant changes in the composition of continents coinciding with the emergence and explosion of plants.
“It is astonishing that the greening of continents is felt deep within the Earth” – Dr. Spencer concluded.
The study was recently published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.
