Scientists have discovered the world’s oldest known meteorite impact crater in Australia, a move that could change our understanding of the origins of life and Earth, according to a study published Thursday.
The crater, discovered in a remote region of northwestern Australia, “strongly challenges previous assumptions about the ancient history of our planet,” Curtin University researchers said in a report.
The Australian team examined rock layers and “found evidence of a major meteorite impact 3.5 billion years ago.”
“Prior to our discovery, the oldest impact crater was 2.2 billion years old, so this is by far the oldest known crater ever found on Earth,” said Tim Johnson, co-author of the study.
For Professor Chris Kirkland, co-lead author of the study, this discovery provides new insight into how meteorites have shaped the Earth.
“The discovery of this impact, along with others from the same time period, could explain a lot about how life may have begun, because impact craters created environments that were conducive to microbial life, such as hot pools of water,” Kirkland said.
“It also radically refines our understanding of the formation of the Earth’s crust: the enormous amount of energy released by this impact could have played a role in the formation of the Earth’s crust.”
The study estimates that the meteorite struck the area at more than 36,000 kilometers per hour, creating a crater more than 100 kilometers wide, and that it may have thrown debris across the globe.
“This study provides a crucial piece to the puzzle of Earth’s impact history and suggests that many more ancient craters may be discovered over time,” Johnson said.