Far beneath the waves of the southwest Pacific, scientists have finished charting a landmass so large and so coherent that it ...

Earth's first continents may have emerged from the planet's primordial oceans much earlier than we thought, just six hundred million years after the planet formed, new research suggests. The ...

The history of Earth's continents might be different from what we first thought. The most popular theory of how the continents formed billions of years ago may not be right, according to a paper in ...

"... a pivotal event in our planet's history." This is an Inside Science story. Earth's first continents may have emerged from the oceans roughly 750 million years ...

It's a creeping movement, but a momentous one. Some 200 million years ago, a single, extraordinary supercontinent called Pangea dominated Earth. Ultimately, landmasses ruptured and pulled apart, ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Many seismologists and researchers have long believed the Earth ...

Several exoplanets at the edge of our galaxy could have formed continents — and advanced life — 5 billion years earlier than Earth, new research suggests. When you purchase through links on our site, ...

Disregard what you learned in geography class—Earth may not have seven continents after all. From the earliest of grades, schoolchildren around the world have memorized the same lineup: Africa, ...

Researchers discovered that continents don’t just split at the surface—they also peel from below, feeding volcanic activity in the oceans. Simulations reveal that slow mantle waves strip continental ...

The phenomenon has happened before and is due to an active continental rift zone Toria Sheffield joined the PEOPLE editorial staff in 2024. Her work as a writer/editor has previously appeared in ...