Penrose conference scheduled: When did plate tectonics begin on earth? Theoretical and empirical constraints

Understanding when and why plate tectonics began is one of the most important unresolved problems in understanding Earth; progress toward resolving this problem requires a creative and interdisciplinary effort. A conference scheduled on 13-18 June 2006 at the Pronghorn Lodge in Lander, Wyoming will bring together scientists from different disciplines interested in discussing when plate tectonics began. The conference will address both theoretical and empirical constraints on when the modern regime of plate tectonics began and what the best ways are to recognize this transition in the geologic record. Theoretical consideration include Earth's thermal history, what powers the plates, and how Earth's progressive cooling may have affected these forces. Empirical considerations include the results of a wide range of field- and laboratory-based measurements and analyses that serve as proxies for plate motion or operation of subduction zones and ocean ridges.