Formation of the Earth. Artwork showing stages in the formation of the Earth, up to the present day. The Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago. In the first stage seen here the Earth is already a molten ball of rock. In the early solar system it is bombarded with meteorites and comets (2nd stage). Earth's surface changed from molten to solid rock around 3800 million years ago (third stage) and liquid water condensed on the surface. The atmosphere formed (4th stage) and 2500 million years ago stable continents formed (5th stage). The Earth then underwent cycles of global glaciation (white) and thawing.