Earth's continents stabilized due to furnace-like heat, study reveals

Earth's continents stabilized due to furnace-like heat, study reveals

For billions of years, Earth's continents have remained remarkably stable, forming the foundation for mountains, ecosystems and civilizations. But the secret to their stability has mystified scientists for more than a century. Now, a new study by researchers at Penn State and Columbia University provides the clearest evidence yet for how the landforms became and remained so stable—and the key ingredient is heat.