IndexThe formation of the EarthImpactsErosionVolcanic activityTectonicsHumanityThe formation of the EarthThe image of the Earth from space is of extraordinary beauty; the mixture of blue, green and white illustrating water, land and time on a black background. The Earth is about 4.5 billion years old and looks very different from how it was at its birth. Many geological processes have shaped the Earth's surface and continue to do so today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWhat processes shaped the Earth? Impacts During planetary formation, all planets were hit by fragments of broken planetesimals. This is evident from the formation of craters on the Moon, which remains very intact due to the lack of atmosphere and other geological forces. Many of these impacts were so large that any life present would have been at a significant level of destruction (relative to 2006). Other subsequent impacts, of significant dimensions, are attributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Evidence on Earth of these impacts is very limited because other geologic processes have continually reshaped the surface, erasing many of them. There are some that remain, such as the Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada. This crater is approximately 1.8 billion years old and is the second largest crater found on Earth, measuring approximately 93 miles in diameter (Ghose 2014). Such large (or larger) impacts not only shape the area they strike, but also have a large reshaping reach due to the debris they scatter. The Institute of Physics says that when an asteroid hits Earth, a significant transfer of kinetic energy occurs. to the Earth (2012). In the Earth's early stages, heat was a key driving force of other geological processes, particularly tectonics. While energy transfer resulting from impacts may not have been the sole cause of kinetic energy on Earth, it was certainly a contributing factor. Erosion Erosion is the process of wearing away rock or soil by water. As water vapor turned liquid and rained onto the surface in the early years, impact crater evidence was consumed and, in the case of smaller craters, washed away. Erosion is also responsible for shaping landscapes in the form of rivers and floods. We currently see examples of erosion in the present, as it is a frequent and ongoing geological process. This is somewhat unique in our solar system, as Earth is the only terrestrial planet that currently features flowing water. Although none of the other terrestrial planets currently have liquid surface water, there is evidence that it once existed on at least Mars. Water in other states, and potentially underground, is present on other terrestrial planets. This is important because liquid water is a critical component of the erosion process. Volcanic activity Another process responsible for the frequent reshaping of the Earth's surface is volcanic activity. The type of volcano and lava has a significant impact on the changes that occur. Volcanic activity is responsible for the creation of some plains, volcanic mountains and the obliteration of impact craters. Since Earth's early atmosphere was likely a mixture of hydrogen and helium, volcanic activity contributed significantly to changes in the early atmosphere by allowing the release of oxygen; this greatly aided the potential of life because it facilitated water. Tectonics Tectonics is the term given to the process of building surface features through certain forces.