Plate tectonics: Studies show movements of continents speeding up after slow 'middle age'

Two studies show that the movement rate of plates carrying Earth's crust may not be constant over time. This could provide a new explanation for the patterns observed in the speed of evolution and has implications for the interpretation of climate models. The work is presented today at Goldschmidt 2014, the premier geochemistry conference taking place in Sacramento, California, USA.