Long long ago…

Long long ago, wait! Few hundred years? Few thousand years? Few million years? No! 4.6 billion years ago, a planet like no other was born! A hot giant ball of fire that subsequently gave rise to today’s calm and beautiful planet; me-The Earth, the host of today’s time travel. We are going to witness some of the most remarkable moments of my life till now. The processes and the changes I have gone through all these years have made my journey worth it. It all seems like a mystery; but wait, is it really a mystery or was there a sequence of events that are explanatory? Let’s find out through some prominent phenomena. So, are you ready to travel through the past?  Fasten your seatbelts, because we are ready to go!

4.6 billion years ago…

Wow! Is this me? Seriously? I look so fiery, vibrant and bold. Oh, this is Hadean, the time when I had just begun my life as a planet. A hot ball of fire on its way to cool down and form the layered structure I have today. Obviously, no life was known on the planet. 

Archean time period (4-2.5 billion years ago) …

We are now in Archean time. Archean was a life changer for me. The amount of oxygen rose significantly at this time. The conditions became favourable and the first life emerged as anaerobic prokaryotes. 

Proterozoic (2.5 billion-570 million years ago) … 

This time period gave rise to soft bodied invertebrates and multicellular cells. I was so happy to see these lives blossoming. Did you know, these three time periods are collectively referred as ‘Pre-Cambrian’ and form nearly 90% of earth’s history? You humans aren’t even close! 

Next began evolution of more and more species in the Phanerozoic eon (570 million-present). This is subdivided into Palaeozoic (570-250 million years ago), Mesozoic (250-65 million years ago) and Cenozoic (65 million years ago- present). 

Palaeozoic (570-250 million years ago)

The Palaeozoic period witnessed some of the most important phenomena- appearance of the first fish, the first terrestrial plants, the formation of supercontinent and the first mass extinction!

Mesozoic (250-65 million years ago)

The next one is everyone’s favourite- Mesozoic. Why? Who isn’t fascinated by the world of dinosaurs after watching ‘Jurassic Park’ and its sequels? Well, this was it. The age of dinosaurs. Life was very good back then. I felt secure with these huge creatures. I felt complete. But these dinosaurs also faced a mass extinction in the end. The actual cause of this extinction still continues to be a popular debate topic among geologists. Were earthquakes more common because of their massive walks? Well, that’s a secret. Let’s move on to the next- Cenozoic. 

Cenozoic (65 million years ago- present) …

Cenozoic was the one who made me more glorious. The abundant rainforests, the emergence of mammals and human species made this time mesmerizing. A lot of things happened. Four major glaciations took place, large mammoth like mammals died in mass extinction again, and transformation continued. Modern humans appeared about 10,000 years ago. 

Today…

Civilization and evolution followed and today, here we are, with a pretty, dynamic planet- yeah, that’s me! But needless to say, civilization has been a boon and bane for me. I am unconditionally providing for all your needs and there you are, sweeping away my beauty. Humans are not even 1% of my life till now, but see the impact you’ve made- Wonderful and shameful at the same time. My love for you is like a mother’s unconditional love that will never change. But I do expect you all to love me wholeheartedly as well. I have been beautiful ever since I was born, and I want my humans to keep me as beautiful as I am. That’s all I need from you: Your love.

Here we end our time travel. I hope you enjoyed the journey! What? Want to go into the future? No, let’s keep it a surprise that you have to create and unfold yourself. Make sure it’s a good one. All the best! 

-Your dear mother planet.

  By Apoorva Pimprikar

  SY Geology