A study published in Nature Geoscience reveals that recent volcanic activity in Panama and Costa Rica holds the key to understanding the extreme continent-building that occurred billions of years ago. While many believe all of the Earth's continental crust was formed during a specific period in history, new research shows that "juvenile" continental crust has been created throughout Earth's existence. This challenges the previous belief that all continental crust has been continuously recycled through tectonic plate collisions. Lead author Esteban Gazel, an assistant professor of geology at Virginia Tech, states that the discovery of these exceptions sheds light on the mystery of whether Earth has been recycling all of its continental crust. The Galapagos islands were formed by the melting of oceanic crust, which recreated conditions similar to those found in the ancient Achaean era, providing an essential element for the creation of continental crust. Researchers have found that erupted lavas from the islands had a composition similar to continental crust about 10 million years ago. By testing the material, they also observed seismic waves moving through the crust at speeds comparable to continental crust worldwide. Other examples of recently formed continental crust include the western Aleutian Islands and the Iwo-Jima segment of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) arc system, according to the researchers. This study prompts questions about the impact newly formed continental crust has had globally over time, and its role in the evolution not just of continents, but also of life itself. For instance, the creation of the Central American land bridge led to the blocking of the seaway, causing alterations in ocean circulation, the isolation of marine species, and significant effects on the planet's climate. Gazel stated, "We have discovered a significant aspect in the planet's evolution."