8 beautiful places that have revealed the Earth's secrets

We measure our lives in minutes, days, years. And that works for most things. But looking at Earth's history can give us a whole new sense of time.

The planet is about 4.5 billion years old — and there are places we can see that have existed for more than a third of that time.

But just as impressive as the planet's incredible age is, so is how much it continues to change.

And it turns out that you can see proof of both Earth's age and its changeability in the rock — if you know where to look. Here are some of the most beautiful examples, from the most recent to the very oldest.

Click through the gallery below to see these gorgeous places

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