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Oldest known asteroid impact on Earth dated to 3 billion years
Phys.org • • science
Key Points:
- Curtin University researchers have precisely dated the North Pole Dome impact crater in Western Australia to around 3 billion years ago, making it the oldest known impact crater on Earth.
- The team used advanced mineral dating techniques on zircon and apatite minerals, which preserved evidence of the meteorite impact despite billions of years of geological changes.
- Zircon crystals with unique branching shapes and apatite minerals formed by hot fluids both independently confirmed the timing of the impact event.
- This discovery provides new insight into the Archean eon, a critical period when Earth's earliest continents were forming, and extends the record of meteorite impacts deeper into geological time.
- The research highlights the importance of collaborative efforts between Curtin University and the Geological Survey of Western Australia in advancing understanding of Earth's early history.
