New Theory On Why We Are Alone In The Cosmos—Tectonic Plates
Are we alone, and if so, why? So far, the search for extraterrestrial life has turned up nothing but silence—and a team of geoscientists now think they know why.
Geology. The presence of oceans, continents and plate tectonics on Earth is most likely the reason there is no evidence for advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, according to new research by the University of Texas at Dallas and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
Published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, a new paper explores the lack of “active, communicative civilizations” and suggests a change to the Drake Equation, a formula devised by astronomer Dr. Frank Drake in 1961, which astronomers use to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy capable of communicating with humans. The Drake Equation is about formulating a question, but it provides no answer.
One part of the Drake Equation refers to the fraction of life-bearing planets where intelligent life emerges. The new research suggests that the necessity for large oceans, continents and plate tectonics—the latter lasting for over 500 million years—should also be taken into account.
Plate tectonics is a theory that explains how Earth’s lithosphere—its upper mantle and crust—is split into sections called plates, which move. These movements create mountains, volcanoes and oceans.
“Life has been around on Earth for about four billion years, but complex organisms like animals didn’t appear until about 600 million years ago, which is not long after the modern episode of plate tectonics began,” said Dr. Robert Stern, a professor of sustainable Earth systems sciences in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Texas at Dallas. “Plate tectonics jump-starts the evolution machine, and we think we understand why.”
This suggested qualifier to the Drake Equation regarding oceans, continents, and plate tectonics makes active, communicative civilizations far less likely. That’s important because the Drake Equation multiplies several factors—such as the
