Wetherill G W, Drake C L
Science. 1980 Jul 4;209(4452):96-104. doi: 10.1126/science.209.4452.96.
During the last two decades the earth sciences community has become persuaded that the earth is a dynamic body; an engine driven by its internal heat. The major surface manifestation of this dynamism has been fragmentation of the earth's outer shell and subsequent relative horizontal movement of the pieces on a large scale. The driving force is convection within the earth, but much remains to be learned about the nature of the convection and the composition of the earth's interior. The other terrestrial planets show evidence of once having been hot, but their surfaces suggest long-term stability and lack evidence of continuing convection.
在过去的二十年里，地球科学界逐渐相信地球是一个动态的天体；是一台由其内部热量驱动的引擎。这种动态性的主要地表表现是地球外壳的破碎以及随后各板块在大范围内的相对水平移动。驱动力是地球内部的对流，但关于对流的性质和地球内部的组成仍有许多有待了解。其他类地行星显示出曾经很热的证据，但其表面表明长期稳定，且缺乏持续对流的证据。
