A groundbreaking study of 3.1 billion-year-old rocks in Western Australia's Pilbara Craton has uncovered evidence of an ancient water cycle operating before modern plate tectonics.

Researchers from Adelaide University, Monash University, and the Geological Survey of Western Australia analysed lavas from the Whundo Group, which preserve a rare type of thin crust.

These rocks show chemical signatures similar to modern subduction zone volcanoes, indicating Earth was recycling surface water into its interior over 3 billion years ago.

The findings challenge previous assumptions about when Earth's deep water cycle began, revealing a process called 'dripduction' where soft crust sections sank into the mantle.

This discovery suggests Earth's water management systems were more advanced than previously thought, with implications for understanding planetary evolution.

The study, published in Nature Communications, highlights how ancient geological processes shaped our planet's water budget, offering new insights into Earth's early geology.