Sheridan@lemmy.world to Ask Science@lemmy.worldEnglish · edit-26 months agoIf life never emerged on Earth, would the continents still be more or less the same today? In other words, does life affect the formation and movement of continents significantly?message-squaremessage-square14fedilinkarrow-up151arrow-down11
arrow-up150arrow-down1message-squareIf life never emerged on Earth, would the continents still be more or less the same today? In other words, does life affect the formation and movement of continents significantly?Sheridan@lemmy.world to Ask Science@lemmy.worldEnglish · edit-26 months agomessage-square14fedilink
minus-squareBigMikeInAustin@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up10·6 months agoContinents as a whole, probably. I’m not sure how the weight of fossils adds up over the eons, but probably not enough to change things. I’m not aware of the ice age having changed plate tectonics, and that a lot of weight. Maybe someone knows if it affected volcanoes. The top shape would be different because of plants holding back erosion and life having changed the chemical makeup of the air.
Continents as a whole, probably.
I’m not sure how the weight of fossils adds up over the eons, but probably not enough to change things.
I’m not aware of the ice age having changed plate tectonics, and that a lot of weight. Maybe someone knows if it affected volcanoes.
The top shape would be different because of plants holding back erosion and life having changed the chemical makeup of the air.