Scientists have long known that asteroid impacts shaped Earth's history, most famously the one that wiped out the dinosaurs. However, researchers now suggest a lesser-known meteorite, S2, might have had an even greater impact—not in destruction but in sparking life on Earth. This massive space rock, four times the size of Mount Everest, struck the planet 3.26 billion years ago, leading to a dramatic shift in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere.
Unleashing Vital Nutrients from the Deep
Discovered in 2014, the meteorite crash caused extreme environmental changes. The oceans boiled, a record-breaking tsunami was unleashed, and the atmosphere heated to dangerous levels. A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) highlights how this colossal event may have stirred vital nutrients like iron and phosphorus, boosting early life.
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Scientists ventured to the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa, a region that holds traces of this ancient impact. There, they collected 220 pounds of rock for detailed analysis. The data revealed that the massive tsunami triggered by the impact mixed ocean layers, bringing up deep-sea nutrients that were typically scarce in shallow waters. Iron, essential for life, flooded coastal areas, possibly nurturing early organisms.
Catastrophe Turned Catalyst for Life
While the destructive force of the impact was undeniable, the study proposes that these harsh conditions may have accelerated life’s evolution. Harvard University geologist Nadja Drabon, lead author of the study, emphasised that such impacts may have actually created opportunities for life to thrive. “We often view asteroid strikes as purely destructive,” she said, “but this event likely provided the right conditions for early life to flourish.”
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The researchers concluded that giant meteorites, often seen as agents of devastation, may have also offered fleeting yet crucial benefits for the growth of early life. Rather than solely extinguishing species, these impacts could have set the stage for life's eventual dominance.
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