Scientists observe tectonic activity on a planet other than Earth for the first time

Tectonic activities are movements that exist in a planet's crust and the tectonic activities of rocky planets fundamentally influence their long-term evolution and cycling of volatiles between the interior and atmosphere. Earth is the only known planet that has active plate tectonics but observations on exoplanets have revealed the diversity of tectonic activities outside our solar system. Observations of the thermal phase curve of super-Earth LHS 3844b reveal a solid surface and lack of a substantial atmosphere.

Tectonic activities in Exoplanet 

The super-Earth LHS 3844b has its particular distinction and is the first planet outside earth that might have evidence of tectonic activity. The exoplanet was studied since 2019 and first it was said that it was covered with lava rocks. In the new research Hemispheric Tectonics published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists have made the observation based on the simulations. Based on the observations, the exoplanet is larger than Earth and it does not seem to have any atmosphere. 

Exoplanet LHS 3844b is exposed to its sun and can have temperatures of up to roughly 800-degree Celsius in the day while minus 250-degree Celsius at the night. Astronomer Tobias Meier, from the University of Bern in Switzerland, said, "We thought that this severe temperature contrast might affect material flow in the planet's interior". The astronomers thought that temperature contrast would affect material the movement of material in the planet's interior. 

The researchers created the simulations in which they observed that there was upwards movements on one side of the planet while downward flow on another side of the planet. The researchers have called it 'hemisphere-scale flow of subsurface material'. Geophysicist Dan Bower from the University of Bern has said, "On whichever side of the planet the material flows upwards, there would be a large amount of volcanism on that particular side." Scientists suggest that LHS 3844b may have one entire hemisphere covered in volcanoes.