Earth’s Evolution: from the Beginning to the Origin of the Noosphere

The article discusses the geological history of Earth from its formation to the present day. Our planet originated in the Solar System approximately 9.2 billion years after the emergence of the Universe. During the Chaotian eon (4568–4500 million years ago), Earth accreted and differentiated into the core and mantle; the Moon formed. The geological history of our planet began in the Hadean eon (4.5–4.0 billion years ago). During this period, its formation was controlled by constant asteroid bombardment. Since the early Archean eon (4.0–3.1 billion years ago), the leading role was played not by cosmic factors, but by the tectonic mechanisms of the overlying shell as well as by the mantle convection. Both these processes provided the differentiation of the Earth’s depths under higher temperatures. At this stage, the Earth’s solid iron core formed out. During the transition period (3.1–2.0 billion years ago), the main tectonic regime was the tectonics of small lithospheric plates; the rate of crust formation sharply increased; the asthenosphere evolved in the structure of the upper mantle; and layer D″ was formed in the lower mantle. The late period of geological history (<2 billion years) was controlled by the processes of global tectonics, which included tectonics of lithospheric plates and of mantle plumes. They determined the supercontinent cyclicity of the Earth’s development as well as a sharp increase in metallogenic diversity. In general, the geological evolution of Earth is characterized by a complication of the Earth’s structure and origin and consolidation of various geospheres, including the biosphere and the noosphere. Its main result is the formation on our planet of conditions for the origin and successful development of man and human civilization.

evolution and internal structure of the Earth, geological processes, global tectonics, mantle plumes, metallogeny, evolution of the biosphere, noosphere