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World's Oldest Known Impact Crater Discovered in Western Australia

Australian scientists have discovered the world’s oldest known meteorite-impact crater, which could reshape understanding of the origins of life and Earth itself, according to a study from Curtin University.
The crater, created by an impact 3.5 billion years ago, provides new insights into early Earth's crust formation, according to researchers from Curtin University.
Before this discovery, the oldest impact crater was 2.2 billion years old, according to Professor Tim Johnson, co-lead of the study.
Professor Chris Kirkland noted that this impact could explain how life began by creating environments suitable for microbial life.

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Sci Tech Daily

2.75 Billion-Year-Old Rocks Rewrite the Story of Earth’s Early Life

A study of ancient stromatolites reveals that ammonium reservoirs in early Earth’s oceans, likely influenced by volcanic activity, may have supported microbial life before the Great Oxidation Event. Analysis of fossilized stromatolites dating back more than 2.5 billion years has shed new light on Earth’s environmental conditions before the emergence of oxygen. A research team [...]

2 days ago

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Scientific American

Earth’s Oldest Impact Crater Discovered in Australia

Scientists with a new theory about how Earth’s early continents formed predicted where a superold impact crater should be—then found it

2 days ago

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The Express Tribune

Geologists find 3.47-billion-year-old impact crater in Western Australia

Researchers in Western Australia’s Pilbara region have discovered the world’s oldest known meteorite impact crater, pushing back the previous record by more than one billion years. The newly identified crater is estimated to be around 3.47 billion years old, a discovery that offers significant insight into early Earth’s geological history and the possible origins of life. The crater, which spans at least 100 kilometres (62 miles), was formed by …

3 days ago·Pakistan

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MyCentralOregon.com

+9 Reposted by 9 other sources

3.5 billion-year-old crater created by meteorite impact found in Australia, scientists say

Abstract Aerial Art/Getty Images (AUSTRALIA) — The discovery of a massive crater formed by the impact of a meteorite more than three billion years ago is changing the way scientists view the history of Earth and the planet’s stages of evolution. Researchers in Australia found the crater in Western Australia’s Pilbara region and believe it’s the oldest impact crater in the world, at about 3.5 billion years old. That surpasses the previous record-…

3 days ago

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Smithsonian Mag

Oldest Known Impact Crater Discovered in Australia

The discovery bolsters the theory that meteorite impacts played an important role in Earth's early geological history

3 days ago·United States

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Live Science

'This is by far the oldest': Scientists discover 3.47 billion-year-old meteorite impact crater in Australian outback

Researchers say they have found "unequivocal evidence" that a meteorite smashed into Earth 3.47 billion years ago, potentially affecting plate tectonics and creating conditions for life.

3 days ago·United States

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