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A big rock from space could split the crust, or at least punch a hole in it. (And this has happened! And on several occasions.) We've had some really, really big hits, including one that is thought to have resulted in the capture and formation of the moon. A hit that massive didn't simply split the crust, but nearly ripped the earth apart. There is also the action of tectonic plates, as the plates respond to gigantic pressures from below. The actions of the tectonic plates had a hand shaping life on earth, and they continue to affect us today. I very big ways, too. Earthquakes arise when plates shift, as you know, but the divergent rifts on some plate boundaries could actually be considered a "functioning split" because the plates are continuing to move apart, continuing to split. Remember that the crust of the earth is an evolving megastructure. The massive dynamics that shaped it in the past continue to shape it now, even though billions of years of have passed since the crust formed.

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16y ago

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