An artist’s depiction of Earth split into two. On the left side is Earth early in its history, being struck by another planetary body in a fiery impact. On the right is Earth today, with a smooth surface, mantle plumes, and a moon.

Earth’s Subduction May Have Been Triggered by the Same Event That Formed the Moon

The giant impact that formed the Moon may also have led to extrastrong mantle plumes that enabled the first subduction event, kick-starting Earth’s unique system of sliding plates.

Eos
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