Recent geological studies have unveiled what is now considered the world’s oldest known meteorite impact crater, located near Marble Bar in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This ancient structure, referred to as the “North Pole Crater,” is estimated to be approximately 3.5 billion years old, surpassing the previous record-holder, the Yarrabubba crater, by over a billion years. Initially spanning about 60 miles (100 kilometers) in diameter, the crater’s remnants now present as a 35-kilometer-wide area of raised ground, a result of geological processes following the impact. The discovery was confirmed by geologist Tim Johnson and his team, who identified distinctive shatter cones—conical rock formations indicative of high-pressure shock waves from a meteorite impact—in the area.
The implications of this discovery are profound, offering new insights into Earth’s early history during the Archaean eon, a period when the planet was predominantly covered in water. The massive impact likely had global consequences, with debris potentially reaching as far as present-day South Africa. This event provides valuable information about the frequency and scale of meteorite impacts during Earth’s formative years and their potential role in shaping the planet’s geological and biological evolution.
Related Stories:
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-03-06/oldest-known-crater-pilbara-geology-3-47-billion-years-old/105019606
- https://phys.org/news/2025-03-world-oldest-meteorite-impact-crater.html
- https://newatlas.com/science/worlds-oldest-impact-crater-australia/
- https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/worlds-oldest-meteorite-crater-discovered-reshaping-earths-history/
- https://theconversation.com/earths-oldest-impact-crater-was-just-found-in-australia-exactly-where-geologists-hoped-it-would-be-250921
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