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Scientists Confirm Age of Earth's Oldest Crater
Geologists have confirmed the age of Earth's oldest impact crater, the North Pole Dome structure in Western Australia. A team from Curtin University, led by Christopher Kirkland, determined that a meteorite struck this area approximately 3.02 billion years ago. If the estimate is correct, this structure remains the only reliably dated Archean impact crater on the planet. The work was published in the journal Geology.
TL;DR
- Geologists have confirmed the age of the North Pole Dome structure in Western Australia as Earth's oldest impact crater.
- The meteorite impact occurred approximately 3.02 billion years ago.
- The age was determined by analyzing zircon and apatite minerals within the impact site.
- Skeletal zircon grains dated to 3024 ± 7 million years, supported by apatite dating around 3019 million years.
- The structure is considered the only reliably dated Archean impact crater on Earth.
- Further analysis of mica indicated the shatter cones existed at least 1.65 billion years ago.