Time: 2024-10-28
A new survey light-emitting_diode by Nadja Drabon from Harvard University has shed light on the impact of a massive meteorite, name S2, that strike Earth More than 3.3 billion old_age ago. This meteorite, estimate to be 200 times bigger than the one that kill the dinosaur, clash with Earth during a time when only simple, single-celled life form exist on the planet. The aftermath of the impact, which happen off the seashore of Cape Cod, may have surprisingly profit these primitive life form, lead to a population explosion in bacteria and archaea.
When S2 strike Earth, it trip a catastrophic tsunami that churn the ocean floor, delivery debris into coastal region. The intense heat from the impact boil away the upper_berth layer of the ocean and heat the atmosphere. This result in a midst blanket of dust in the atmosphere that barricade sunlight, impede the procedure of photosynthesis for many organism. However, certain unicellular organism that Federal off iron and phosphorus boom after the impact, experience population boom as a result.
The research team light-emitting_diode by Drabon conduct extensive fieldwork in the Barberton Greenstone belt region of South Africa to uncover evidence of this ancient impact. By analyze rock sample and perusal the distribution of different form of carbon within them, the team was able to reconstruct the event that blossom over 3 billion old_age ago when S2 clash with Earth.
The impact of the S2 meteorite not only cause widespread devastation but also light-emitting_diode to the enrichment of certain elements like iron and phosphorus in shoal Waters, supply necessity food for early life form to boom. The survey highlight that these impact, often see as black, could have have positive effects on life, especially during the early phase of Earth's formation.
Drabon and her colleague purpose to continue their research in the region, search for foster evidence of asteroid strike and cataclysmal event that could supply valuable penetration into Earth's early history. The findings of their survey were print in the diary Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Oct. 21, lend to a better understanding of how Earth and its early life form react to meteorite impact billion of old_age ago.