Earth's newfound 'episodic-squishy lid' may guide our search for habitable worlds

Six rings showing yellow and blue on two halves with different labels.

A newly identified tectonic "regime" may rewrite our understanding of how rocky worlds evolve, scientists report in a new study.

The findings may help to explain why Earth became geologically vibrant while Venus remained stagnant and scorching, with possible implications for our understanding of what makes a planet habitable.