Oldest Confirmed Meteorite Impact Crater Discovered in Australia, Rewriting Early Earth History

Researchers from Curtin University have identified the world's oldest confirmed meteorite impact crater in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Estimated to be 3.5 billion years old, the discovery significantly predates the previously known oldest crater by 1.3 billion years. The crater, located in the North Pole Dome, was identified through the presence of shatter cones, unique rock formations created by the extreme pressure of a meteorite impact. The impact, estimated to have been caused by a meteorite traveling over 36,000 km/h, would have created a crater over 100 km wide, scattering debris globally. The finding offers insights into the early Earth's environment and the potential role of meteorite impacts in the formation of microbial life and the Earth's crust.