A team of researchers from Curtin University in Australia has made a groundbreaking discovery about the North Pole Dome crater in Western Australia. According to their study, published in a peer-reviewed journal, the crater was created by an asteroid strike 3 billion years ago, making it the oldest impact crater on Earth. This would surpass the current record held by the Yarrabubba crater in Western Australia, which is regarded as the oldest reliably dated asteroid-strike crater on Earth.
The researchers used a mineral-dating technique to determine the age of the crater, dating recrystallised minerals at the site to around 3 billion years old. They also dated zircons and apatite, which are minerals that form in the presence of high temperatures and pressures. Both minerals returned dates of around 3 billion years old, according to the study.
However, not all researchers are convinced by the findings. Aaron Cavosie, also from Curtin University, has questioned the proposed age of the crater, citing younger rock formations in the area. He argues that the impact must have taken place no earlier than 2.77 billion years ago. Alec Brenner from Yale University agrees with Cavosie, stating that the rocks must be younger than 2.77 billion years old.
The debate highlights the ongoing challenge of determining the age of ancient impact craters on Earth. While the study's findings are intriguing, they remain to be confirmed by further research. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the early history of the planet and the potential for life on Earth.