Editor's Summary
13 July 2006
Say when
Plate tectonics shaped the world we see today. That much is uncontroversial: controversy begins when it comes to working out when the process started. Some geologists argue that by the time the ancient Archaean rocks were formed, plate tectonics was up and running. Others argue that it began much later, or that it may come and go.
News Feature: Geology: The start of the world as we know it
Plate tectonics has created oceans and pushed up mountain ranges. But when did the process that shapes the planet get going? Alexandra Witze joins the geologists debating the issue.
doi:10.1038/442128a