A study published in Nature Geoscience by an international team of geoscientists reveals that recent volcanic activity in Panama and Costa Rica sheds light on the process of continent-building that occurred billions of years ago. While it was previously believed that all of the earth's continental crust was formed during a specific period in history, the new research shows that "juvenile" continental crust has been created throughout the earth's history. This challenges the previous notion that all continental crust is recycled through tectonic plate collisions. Senior study author Esteban Gazel, an assistant professor of geology at Virginia Tech, stated that the discovery suggests that the earth has not always recycled all of its continental crust, with exceptions producing new crust. The melting of the oceanic crust created the Galapagos islands, which provided the necessary conditions for the formation of continental crust. Researchers found that the composition of erupted lavas became more similar to continental crust about 10 million years ago. They also observed seismic waves moving through the crust at speeds similar to those in continental crust worldwide. Other examples of recently formed juvenile continental crust include the western Aleutian Islands and the Iwo-Jima segment of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc system. This study raises questions about the global impact of newly formed continental crust on the evolution of continents and life. One instance is the creation of the Central American land bridge, which led to the blocking of the seaway. This altered ocean circulation, isolated marine species, and significantly influenced the planet's climate. Gazel stated that this discovery has unveiled a significant aspect of our planet's evolution.