images

Ancient terrestrial landscape

by

Walter B. Myers/Novapix

Reference

t-glb91-01005

Date

2009-08-17

This is how the surface of the Earth may have appeared beneath its clouds about 500 million years after its birth. Massive volcanoes and lava fields still dominate the landscape. In a few million years rain will begin falling, further cooling the crust. In about another 200 million years the first living microbes will call the Earth home.