*A team of scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered new clues about how the Earth's continents formed early in its history.*

The research, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, focused on the formation of the North American continent. The team used a combination of geological and geochemical data to show that the continent formed through a process called "continental accretion," in which smaller pieces of land collided and merged together over time.

Continental accretion is thought to be the main process by which continents formed during the first few billion years of Earth's history.

The new research provides detailed evidence for how this process worked in the case of North America. The team found that the continent began to form about 3.6 billion years ago when two small pieces of land collided. These pieces of land were made up of volcanic rocks and were located near what is now the Great Lakes region.

Over time, more pieces of land collided with North America, adding to its size. These collisions were often violent, and they caused the rocks on the continent to be folded and deformed. The collisions also produced heat, which caused the rocks to melt and form new magma. This magma then erupted onto the surface and formed new volcanic rocks.

The process of continental accretion continued for billions of years, until North America reached its current size.

The new research provides important insights into the early history of the Earth and how the continents formed. It also has implications for understanding how the Earth's crust is structured and how it has evolved over time.

Watch the video below to learn more about the research.