Terraforming: – Plate Tectonics And Long-Term Habitability

M. J. Heath. (1991), JBIS, 44, pp.147-149

Refcode: 1991.44.147

Abstract:

Discussions about how planets and natural satellites might be terraformed generally neglect the fundamental role played by plate tectonic processes in maintaining the habitability of the Earth. Plate tectonics is responsible for rejuvenating the land surface, for the operation of vital biogeochemical cycles and for the promotion of biological diversity and evolutionary change. That the Earth is alive in both geological and biological senses is no mere coincidence. The two types of activity are linked closely. Details of plate tectonics appear in numerous texts [l] and will not be discussed here.