A group of scientists of the Curtin University He discovered in the remote hinterland of Western Australia what could be the oldest impact crater ever identified on earth. Located in the region of Pilbaranear the North Pole Dome, this site reveals signs of a collision that took place about 3.47 billion years agowell beyond the previous record of 2.2 billion years. This discovery provides a precious testimony of an era in which our planet was targeted by extraterrestrial bodies with much more frequency than today.
Although a real crater is no longer visible – canceled by billions of years of erosion and geological processes – Scientists have identified clear signs of the impact. The main evidence is represented by “Shatter Cone”conical structures formed under the extreme pressure generated by the impact. These formations, well preserved in the rocks of Pilbara, have allowed researchers to estimate the size of the object that affected the earth. It is assumed that the original crater could overcome the 100 kilometers in diameteran event of catastrophic proportions for the time.
Second Tim Johnsonco-author of the study and researcher at the Curtin Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions, this discovery represents a turning point:
This is undoubtedly the oldest impact crater ever identified on earth.
The implications of this discovery go beyond simple geology: it helps to better understand how the earth’s surface has been modeled by cosmic events in remote periods.
Meteoritic impacts and origin of life: a possible link?
Second Chris Kirklandco-author of the study and researcher at the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences of Curtin University, these ancient impacts may have contributed to the formation of the earth’s crust And even having created favorable conditions for the birth of life:
Identifying this impact and finding others of the same period could help us explain how life has originated. Craters generated environments suitable for primitive microorganisms, such as hot sources and rich in chemical elements.
Scientists believe that the energy issued by such violent impacts has water heated and activated essential chemical processescreating conditions similar to those that are now found in the underwater hydrothermal sources, where particular forms of microbial life prosper. In addition, the presence of microsferule in the surrounding rocks suggests that the earth was hit frequently in that periodmaking this site an important window on his geological youth.
The crater is in a rocky training known as Antarctic Creek Memberwhich presents fractured material and carbonate mineralsfollowed by volcanic layers with characteristics characteristic of lava in contact with water. The absence of “Shatter Cone” in the most recent layers indicates that the impact dates back to an extremely remote era.
The authors of the study stress that, so far, the absence of such ancient craters has led the scientific community to neglect their possible impact on the evolution of the earth. However, this discovery suggests that they could be Many others hidden under the oldest rocks on the planet.
Thanks to advanced mapping technologies and a more in -depth analysis of the Greenstone Belt – geological formations that retain ancient volcanic and sedimentary traces – researchers hope to find New tests of meteor bombing dating back to the dawn of earthly history, as Johnson points out:
This study represents a crucial piece in understanding the history of impacts on earth. Other ancient craters are likely to still wait to be discovered.
