Knowledge of temperature and pressure, however qualitative, has been central to our views
of geology since at least the early 19th century. In 1822, for example, Charles Daubeny …

On the contemporary Earth, distinct plate tectonic settings are characterized by differences in
heat flow that are recorded in metamorphic rocks as differences in apparent thermal …

If we accept that a critical condition for plate tectonics is the creation and maintenance of a
global network of narrow boundaries separating multiple plates, then to argue for plate …

Non-arc basalts of Archean and Proterozoic age have model primary magmas that exhibit
mantle potential temperatures TP that increase from 1350° C at the present to a maximum …

The Earth as a planetary system has experienced significant change since its formation c.
4.54 Gyr ago. Some of these changes have been gradual, such as secular cooling of the …

Construction and assembly of the Geologic Time Scale involves:(a) constructing a relative
(chronostratigraphic) standard scale for key periods in the Earth's rock record;(b) identifying …

The lower plate is the dominant agent in modern convergent margins characterized by
active subduction, as negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere sinks into the asthenosphere …

The geodynamic context of formation of the Archaean continental crust is a matter of debate.
The crust is largely made of grey gneiss complexes, a composite rock assemblage …

Basaltic magmatism is a common feature of dynamically active terrestrial planets. The
compositions of basalts reflect the temperatures and pressures of magma generation …

The inception of plate tectonics on Earth and its subsequent evolution are discussed on the
basis of theoretical considerations and observational constraints. The likelihood of plate …