‘Smoking Gun’ Evidence Reveals World’s Oldest Meteorite Strike in Australia

  • تاريخ النشر: منذ يوم زمن القراءة: دقيقة قراءة

New zircon and apatite evidence dates the Western Australia impact to about 3.02 billion years ago.

The Impact Site Is North Pole Dome

Shatter Cones Revealed the Collision

The First Estimate Was 3.47 Billion Years

Another Team Challenged That Date

Scientists Turned to Zircon Crystals

Zircon Pointed to Three Billion Years

Apatite Provided an Independent Clock

This Agreement Is the “Smoking Gun”

It Still Predates the Previous Record Holder

The Scientific Debate Is Not Completely Over

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Scientists have precisely dated what they describe as Earth’s oldest known impact crater, hidden within the ancient rocks of Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Their analysis places the meteorite strike at approximately 3.02 billion years ago.

The breakthrough comes after the site’s age became the subject of intense scientific disagreement. Two minerals altered during the same event now provide what researchers call the strongest evidence yet, although several geologists continue to challenge the interpretation.

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