A Different Kind of Impact
“Ancient Meteorite Impact, 3.2 Billion Years Ago, Could Have Sparked Complex Life, Study Finds. “Unlike the well-known Chicxulub asteroid, which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and numerous other species 66 million years ago, S2’s impact was substantially more significant. Researchers suggest that S2 is between 50 to 200 times larger than Chicxulub, leading to immense destruction.
However, new research aims to understand how the S2 meteorite may have positively impacted the development of life on Earth. According to lead author and Harvard University geologist Nadja Drabon, “Life not only recovered quickly once conditions returned to normal within a few years to decades, it actually thrived.”
Earth’s Paleoarchean Era: A Hostile Environment
During the Paleoarchean Era, Earth was a vastly different world, frequently bombarded by large meteorites. Estimates indicate that several space rocks larger than 10 kilometers hit the planet every 15 million years, suggesting at least 16 massive impacts during the Archean Eon, which lasted for 1.5 billion years.
Co-author Andrew Knoll explains, “At this time, Earth was something of a water world, with limited emergence of volcanoes and continental rocks. There was essentially no oxygen gas in the atmosphere and oceans, and no cells with nuclei.”
The Nature of the S2 Meteorite
The S2 meteorite is classified as a carbonaceous chondrite, a carbon-rich rock that also contains phosphorus, a crucial nutrient for microbial life. While the impact would have been catastrophic, vaporizing the meteorite and causing a dust cloud that likely darkened the sky within hours, it may have set the stage for new life forms.
Drabon noted that the intense energy from the impact vaporized the meteorite and sent debris into the atmosphere, leading to immediate and devastating effects. The impact occurred in the ocean, triggering tsunamis that wreaked havoc on coastlines and the seafloor.
eating Conditions for Life to Flourish
The energy released during the S2 impact generated heat sufficient to boil the upper layers of the oceans. This led to a significant accumulation of water vapor in the atmosphere. The study indicates that it took several years to decades for the dust to settle and for the atmosphere to cool enough to allow the ocean’s upper layers to condense.
While the initial impact may have killed many microbes in shallow waters, the phosphorus present in the meteorite likely played a vital role in promoting new microbial life. Additionally, the tsunami created by the impact mixed iron-rich deep water with the nutrient-poor surface waters, establishing an ideal environment for microbial populations to thrive.
A Catalyst for Complexity
In summary, the research highlights that the S2 meteorite, despite its destructive force, may have been instrumental in fostering conditions that allowed complex life to evolve on Earth. This finding shifts the narrative surrounding ancient meteorite impacts, suggesting they can also be agents of life, not just destruction.
Refrence by The Indian Express
Author:ntndevelopers Home
