Asked by Chanelle Nichuals on May 27, 2024
Verified
Why is it hard to find rocks from Earth's early history?
A) because of heavy bombardments that melted most of Earth's crust up until 3.8 billion years ago
B) because of plate tectonics that destroyed rocks
C) because rocks are ephemeral structures
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c
Earth's Early History
A period spanning from the formation of Earth about 4.5 billion years ago to the first appearance of abundant, complex life approximately 541 million years ago.
Bombardments
Intense and frequent attacks or hits, often used in the context of celestial bodies impacting a planet.
Plate Tectonics
A scientific theory explaining the motion of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that move over the mantle, leading to many Earth's surface features.
- Apprehend the chronological order of Earth's development, the genesis of oceans, and the emergence of life forms.
Verified Answer
ZK
Zybrea KnightJun 02, 2024
Final Answer :
D
Explanation :
The difficulty in finding rocks from Earth's early history is primarily due to heavy bombardments that melted most of Earth's crust up until about 3.8 billion years ago (A) and the process of plate tectonics that continuously recycles Earth's crust, destroying older rocks (B). Rocks are not inherently ephemeral structures (C), but these specific processes have made ancient rocks rare.
Learning Objectives
- Apprehend the chronological order of Earth's development, the genesis of oceans, and the emergence of life forms.