© Curtin University
Curtin University researchers have
discovered the
world's oldest known meteorite impact crater, which could significantly redefine our understanding of the origins of life and how our planet was shaped.
The team from Curtin's
School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the
Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) investigated rock layers in the North Pole Dome — an area of the Pilbara region of Western Australia — and
found evidence of a major meteorite impact 3.5 billion years ago.Study co-lead
Professor Tim Johnson, from Curtin University, said the discovery significantly challenged previous assumptions about our planet's ancient history.
"Before 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," Professor Johnson said.
Researchers discovered the crater thanks to 'shatter cones', distinctive rock formations only formed under the intense pressure of a meteorite strike.
The shatter cones at the site, about 40 kilometres west of Marble Bar in WA's Pilbara region, were formed when a meteorite slammed into the area at more than 36,000km/h.
This would have been a major planetary event, resulting in a crater more than 100km wide that would have sent debris flying across the globe.
