Early Earth globe, artwork. On this early Earth, the first continents are forming with clouds present in the atmosphere. On the existing land masses, there is widespread volcanic activity, plus crustal rifting under the sea and on the land (red lines). These are scars from heavy meteorite bombardment. At this stage the continents are barren as plant life has yet to colonise the land. Stable continents first formed on the Earth around 2.5 billion years ago, 2 billion years after the Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago. It would be another 2 billion years before complex marine and land life would evolve, with plate tectonics continually reforming the shape of the continents.