A new study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters has analysed the world’s oldest known impact crater, the 2.29 billion-year-old site at Yarrabubba in Western Australia.
The research has found that the impact of the meteorite generated networks of circulating hot water which infiltrated damage zones throughout the rock, potentially nurturing early life.
The study also has implications for our understanding of how deposits of metal ore form in Earth’s crust.
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Researchers have suggested that impacts were much larger and more frequent on the early Earth, and impacts can produce the exact conditions where microbial communities can thrive
The findings highlight the importance of meteorite impacts in the evolution of the planet and in the creation of a habitable environment.
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Additionally, seeing how impact-generated hot water can transport metals can help us understand how ore deposits are created.