World’s Oldest Impact Crater Discovered in Western Australia: A Game-Changer for Earth’s History
Curtin University researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in Western Australia that is shaking up our understanding of Earth’s history. They have unearthed an impact crater in Australia’s Pilbara region that is not only massive at 100 km wide but also the world’s oldest known crater. This discovery could potentially rewrite the history of our planet and shed new light on the beginnings of life on Earth.
Meteorite impacts have played a significant role in shaping Earth over its 4.5 billion-year-old history. However, the extent to which these impacts have influenced the planet’s geological structures has been a topic of debate among scientists.
The crater was discovered during an investigation of the Philbara Craton and the rock layers in the North Pole Dome. Geologists at the Geological Survey of Western Australia and researchers at Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences worked together to analyze the layers and make this groundbreaking discovery.
The newly found crater, evidence of a major meteorite impact 3.5 billion years ago, challenges previous assumptions about Earth’s history. The discovery of a geological formation called a shatter cone provided clues to the impact, which occurred around 40 km west of Marble Bar in the Philbara area.
This impact event, which occurred at a speed of over 36,000 km/h, resulted in a crater more than 100 km wide. The debris from such a massive impact would have been scattered across the Earth, potentially shaping the planet on a deep level and contributing to the formation of cratons, the stable landforms that form the foundation of continents.
The discovery could also provide insights into how early life on Earth began, as impact craters have been known to create environments conducive to microbial life. This contrasts with the devastating effects asteroid impacts have had on complex life forms, leading to mass extinction events.
The research, published in Nature Communications, is a significant step forward in our understanding of Earth’s history and the role of meteorite impacts in shaping our planet. This discovery opens up new avenues for further research and exploration into the origins of life on Earth.
