[Rockhounds] New Study Sheds Light on Early Crust Formation

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

Earth’s earliest crust, formed over 4.5 billion years ago, has long been
thought to have lacked the complex chemical features associated with
continental crust. However, a recent study published in *Nature*
<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08719-3> reveals that even at
this primordial stage, the crust already exhibited chemical signatures
typical of continental rocks.

This finding challenges the long-held assumption that plate tectonics were
essential for the development of such features. The study opens new avenues
for understanding how Earth’s early crust formed and provides valuable
insights into the processes that drive the evolution of rocky planets
across the universe.

The research, led by Professor Emeritus Simon Turner of Macquarie
University, reveals that the planet’s protocrust — the very first solid
surface — formed with the same chemical characteristics found in today’s
continental crust.

The discovery was made through simulations replicating the
high-temperature, molten conditions of early Earth, when the core was
forming and the surface was covered by a global magma ocean
<https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/03/moons-far-side-was-a-massive-magma-ocean/>.

“Scientists have long thought that tectonic plates needed to dive beneath
each other to create the chemical fingerprint we see in continents,” says
Turner. “Our research shows this fingerprint existed in Earth’s very first
crust, the protocrust – meaning those theories need to be reconsidered.”

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/04/were-earths-first-continents-cosmic-chaos/