Meteorite that hit Earth 3.26 billion years ago may have sparked good news for life, study reveals
What if one of the most destructive events in Earth’s history actually helped life flourish? A massive meteorite that slammed into the planet 3.26 billion years ago may have done just that, according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Spearheaded by Harvard geologist Nadja Drabon, the research proposes that the colossal impact acted like a “giant fertilizer bomb,” scattering life-supporting nutrients across early Earth—and potentially jumpstarting a microbial explosion that would shape the course of evolution.
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How life survived a meteorite bigger than the dinosaur killer
Estimated to be between 50 to 200 times larger than the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs, the meteorite hit Earth during the Paleoarchean Era. During this time, our planet was far from what it is today—comprising gigantic oceans, tiny landmasses, and an atmosphere lacking oxygen.In spite of the immense destruction wrought by the collision—presumably vaporizing rock, releasing a global dust cloud, heating the upper ocean layers to a boil, and generating gigantic tsunamis—evidence indicates that life recovered quickly and tenaciously. South African Barberton Greenstone Belt rocks show a surprising return of microbial activity shortly after the collision.
Early life survived one of Earth's most devastating impacts
Most importantly, the meteorite was characterised as a carbonaceous chondrite, a class of space rock that contains a high percentage of volatile components and organic molecules. When it struck, it released large amounts of phosphorus, an essential nutrient for all living forms, but most especially microorganisms dependent on phosphorus for various essential biochemical processes like DNA and ATP formation.In addition, the turbulence from the entry of the meteorite into the oceans of Earth created vast mixing of the water stratification. Iron-rich deep-sea water was uplifted to the upper layers, boosting the nutrient content in the shallow marine system and setting up a perfect environment for the growth of microbial ecosystems.
Meteorite impacts: Early Earth’s unexpected fertilizer for life
"Picture these effects to be colossal fertilizer bombs," Dr. Nadja Drabon explained. Whereas meteorite impacts are usually linked with mass extinction and devastation of the planet, this paper defies that account—particularly in the early Earth. When life existed in simple, hardy microbes, the environment after an impact might have been more a blessing than a curse.The resilience and flexibility of these early life forms enabled them not only to survive, but quite possibly to thrive, in the wake of such catastrophic planetary transformation. This study represents a paradigm shift in scientists' understanding of ancient meteorite impacts. Far from being always destructive, such impacts may have, in favorable circumstances, given rise to biological innovation and diversification through the production of nutrient-rich, dynamic environments. Along with widening our knowledge of Earth's early biologic past, the results also carry larger consequences for the field of astrobiology. They imply that microbial life may in the same way adjust—and even thrive—on severe planetary events in other parts of the universe.
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