Plate tectonics is foundational to virtually all geologic phenomena on Earth and is widely considered to be an important factor promoting Earth’s habitability. However, Earth is the only known planet that currently exhibits plate tectonics, and it is unknown how abundant Earth-like exoplanets are in the Universe. This study explores how the chemical composition of exoplanets influences the time scales over which plate tectonics may arise. We show that many exoplanets have mantles composed of sub-equal proportions of two or more minerals, a necessary (albeit insufficient) condition for developing plate tectonics. We use this model to identify specific targets for future astronomical investigations.
