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One problem may be our (mostly implicit This emergent trend in earth sciences REFERENCES CITED
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mantle convection, not in a few days by systems (e.g., dead planets and dead peo- tectonic plates in time-dependent, three dimen-
ple). Which would you rather be part of, a
Noah’s flood. But within the scientific com- sional mantle convection simulations Part 1:
munity, substantive uniformitarianism poi- low-energy system with a certain future or Pseudo-plastic yielding: Geochemistry, Geo-
sons scientific discussions about how plate a high-energy system with an unpredictable physics, Geosystems, v. 1, no. 8, https://doi.org/
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Modern earth sciences use methodologi- know which planet we want to be on! Plate tectonics is the key to the past: Journal of
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discovering and understanding emergence ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Pete DeCelles and an anonymous ref-
based on numerical modeling that uses fun- eree for constructive comments and suggestions. Manuscript received 23 July 2020
damental physical laws for investigating This is University of Texas at Dallas geosciences revised Manuscript received 20 aug. 2020
behavior of complex geological systems. contribution #1373. Manuscript accepted 6 sept. 2020

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