The Formation of Granites &amp; Plate Tectonics

Stevenson, David S.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91503-6_2

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Synchronously rotating planets with shorter orbital periods have more focused atmospheric flow along zonal bands. While this may expand the regions in which niche amplitude is higher (Stevenson and Large, 2017;Stevenson, 2018aStevenson, , 2018b, the continental surface over which complex life may evolve remains considerably restricted compared with the Earth. However, speciation in the oceans should, in principle, resemble that of the Earth.…”

Section: The Impact Of Atmospheric Circulation Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More fundamentally, if any complex species is nontechnological, sooner or later continental motion will take them either to less habitable regions of the surfaceor across the terminator where they will cease to exist (Stevenson, 2017(Stevenson, , 2018bStevenson and Large, 2017). Operation of plate tectonics on tidally locked planets then leads to the geographical restriction of species through its dispersal and likely extinction.…”

Section: Plate Tectonics Thick Lids and The Evolution Of Complexitymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Niche amplitude, tidal-locking and Fermi's Paradox

Stevenson¹

2018

International Journal of Astrobiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract‘Where is everybody?’ remarked Enrico Fermi, leading to the famous, and as yet unanswered ‘Fermi's Paradox’ as this remark has come to be known. While there are a number of possible solutions that vary from the distances are too great; the cost prohibitive or civilizations naturally decline or eliminate themselves before interstellar travel becomes possible, none of these are intellectually satisfying. More recently, Manasvi Lingam and Abraham Loeb suggested that for those planets orbiting red dwarfs, atmospheric erosion may be a partial solution to this ‘paradox’. Such planets may experience greater exposure to stellar winds and/or extreme ultraviolet and X-radiation (henceforth abbreviated to EUV). While this proposition is undeniably reasonable, it is likely incomplete. A more fundamental limitation on the development of biological complexity is imposed by plate tectonics: time. On asynchronously rotating planets, the habitable area for any species is defined by latitudinal bands that encompass the globe. Conversely, on synchronous rotators, the comparative habitable area is limited to broadly concentric regions surrounding the Sub-Stellar Point (SSP). Given that terrestrial mammals and from them humans evolved in tropical or subtropical regions, the geographical area subtended with these conditions is likely to be smaller and transected by suitable landmasses for shorter periods than on asynchronously rotating worlds. Habitable subaerial regions for individual species are therefore more limited in area. This leads to a greater limitation on the temporal intervals over which biological complexity can evolve.

show abstract

Section: The Impact Of Atmospheric Circulation Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plate Tectonics Thick Lids and The Evolution Of Complexitymentioning

confidence: 99%