A gigantic one TsunamiThe The churning of the oceans and A The sky has been covered with a thick layer of dust for years: This is an apocalyptic scenario that revealed the nature of our planet 3 billion years ago When a The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was 200 times bigger hit Earth. An event of irony It supported the flourishing of lifeStill in shape microorganism.
Work led by Harvard University's Nadja Drapan reconstructed this scenario Published In PNAS Proceedings of the United States Academy of Sciences. During its first billion years, our planet was hit several times by large asteroids and comets, one of which led to the formation of the Moon.
It is difficult to reconstruct the details of this complex history, but now Thanks for the detailed analysis work Rock specimens comes from the so-called Barberton green rock beltIn South Africa, known One of the oldest parts of the Earth's crustThe researchers found Tracks Off One of them Very violent impacts. Thus it emerged Our planet is under attack 3.26 billion years ago from a A meteorite with a diameter of about 50 km200 times larger than what drove the dinosaurs to extinction 60 million years ago. The Trace metals, dust and isotopes indicate that This event created a huge tsunami and the Heat is generated Boiled the seas.
Impact, that S2He collected many things They darkened the sky for yearsInhibiting the activity of photosynthetic organisms, those that use light to live like plants, and Stirred the seabed putting High levels of circulating iron and phosphorus. As a violent transition paradox, the authors underline, It can be beneficial for biodiversity lead to A flowering of large-scale life forms who used it mainly for a few million years Iron. Many microbes were punished instead, but this new competition strengthened them Endurance positively Subsequent development Life forms as we know them today.
A graphical representation of the S2 meteorite impact and its immediate effects. Source: Nadja Trapan
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