Giant meteorite impacts changed the shape of the Earth
The transformations that eventually formed the continents began with giant asteroid collisions with Earth (NASA)
With the capabilities available today, researchers have analyzed ancient meteorites and revealed their role in the history of our planet
A number of scientists claimed that huge meteorites collided with the Earth and contributed to the formation of its continents.
And recent research found that our planet was bombarded by space objects in the first billion years of its existence, which helped determine the shape of its surface.
In fact, for decades researchers have hypothesized that such meteorite impacts helped form the planet's continents. But until today, they did not have enough evidence to support their hypothesis.
Now, researchers have succeeded in examining ancient meteorites, and showing the role they played in the history of our planet.
Dr. Tim Johnson of the Australian Curtin University said, "By examining and studying small crystals of the mineral 'zircon' in rocks taken from the Pilbara Craton [an ancient part of the continental lithosphere found in the Pilbara] located in Western Australia, knowing that It is the most pristine continental remnant on Earth since time immemorial, and we found evidence to support the hypothesis of giant meteor impacts.”
He added, "Studying the oxygen isotope compositions in these zircon crystals revealed a descending process that starts 'from the bottom up', starting from the melting of rocks near the Earth's surface and advancing towards deeper rocks, which matches the geological effect left by the collisions of giant meteorites."
"Our research provides the first compelling evidence that the transformations that eventually formed the continents began with giant meteorite impacts, much like the impacts responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs that occurred on the planet billions of years ago," said Dr. Johnson.
In addition to determining the shape of our planet, the formation of the continents is a major factor in other respects. Earth's land masses are home to most of the planet's important biomass, people, and minerals. “Particularly, the continents host important metals such as lithium, tin and nickel, which are essential materials for the emerging green technologies needed to meet the commitment we have made to mitigate climate change,” said Dr. Johnson.
It is noteworthy that details about the results of the research are available in a scientific paper entitled "Giant Collisions and the Origin and Evolution of the Continents", published by the journal "Nature".
Source: websites