Earth is the only known planet in the solar system that can sustain and provide a habitable environment for life, largely due to the presence of stable but evolved oceans, continents, magnetic field, atmosphere, surface temperature, as well as exchange of elements and energy between different spheres of Earth that are driven by plate tectonics and mantle plume. Particularly, the Cambrian life Explosion is a milestone in Earth history, which overlapped with the Neoproterozoic oxygenation event (NOE), Gondwana assembly (~680–430 Ma) and the Snowball Earth events. Moreover, modern plate tectonics may have been established during this period as well. However, the tectonic factors that drove the evolution of surficial systems in this period are less well constrained. Here, a review of observation patterns shows that the chains of reactions initiated with the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent, which triggered the Snowball Earth and Neoproterozoic oxygenation events. Meanwhile, Snowball Earth also contributed to continental weathering and oxidation event. The subsequent Gondwana assembly, within a modern plate tectonic regime, generated orogens that lasted for more than 250 million years. The topographic relief might have reached high level during this period, which can provide ecological space for ocean animal system. These super orogens served as a continuous driving force for the changes of Earth’s surficial environs. This, together with low-latitude orogenic belts, caused extensive weathering and supplied huge continental sediments to the ocean, which profoundly changed ocean composition and increased ocean productivity, and sustained the NOE. In addition, Earth had an extremely weak magnetic field at E-C boundary, possibly related to the formation of the Earth’s inner core and establishment of modern plate tectonics. Overall, tectonic processes provided the first order contribution to changes of environment that triggered the Cambrian life Explosion.