Water from both volcanic rocks and deep mantle melted Earth’s crust 1.6 billion years ago. This long-lasting melting formed early continents.
Full story: https://www.earth.com/news/how-water-reshaped-earths-crust-1-6-billion-years-ago/
Full story: https://www.earth.com/news/how-water-reshaped-earths-crust-1-6-billion-years-ago/