Vanishing Evidence: Earth's Ancient Impact Craters Fading Away

The oldest impact craters on Earth, dating back more than 2 billion years, have likely been erased by erosion and geological processes, leaving behind only faint traces such as high-pressure minerals and melted rock. Unlike Mars, Mercury, and the Moon, Earth's powerful erosional influences and tectonic activity have effectively removed evidence of craters older than 2 billion years. A study of the Vredefort crater in South Africa, one of the world's oldest known impact craters, revealed that even the largest craters can be erased by around 10 kilometers of vertical erosion. The research suggests that finding older craters on Earth is unlikely, but the processes that erase them are also conducive to supporting life.