Formation and Early Evolution of the Earth

Abstract

We live on a planet where the evidence of our origins is obliterated or subtly hidden. Plate tectonics has reworked the surface of the globe, internal dynamics and differentiation have confused the chemical clues, and biological processes have modified our volatile reservoirs. A detailed reconstruction of the Earth's formation and early evolution is inconceivable except as a form of scientific mythology in which the trappings of respectable methodology lend credence to some plausible fiction consistent with data. The role of creation scenarios lies in identifying likely processes and general principles for Earth and nearby planets. Chemical data and comparative planetology must play especially important roles in discerning the relative merits of competing hypotheses, but it is premature to champion a single paradigm for Earth formation.

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