Tag

Early History

All articles tagged with #early history

astronomygeophysics2 years ago

"The Impact of the Late Heavy Bombardment on Earth's Surface"

Scientists at the 2023 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union discussed the effects of asteroid impacts on early Earth, revealing that the planet was heavily bombarded by large asteroids, leading to widespread melting of the surface and the formation of impact-generated spherule layers. Modeling suggests that nearly the entire surface of Earth would have been coated with impact melt during the first billion years of its history, with evidence of impacts dating back to 3.5 billion years ago found in Australia and South Africa.

space2 years ago

"Sahara's Crystal-Studded Space Rock Unveils New Insights into Early Solar System History"

Researchers have discovered a crystal-studded meteorite, Erg Chech 002, in the Sahara Desert that is estimated to be 4.56556 billion years old, making it the oldest volcanic rock ever found. The meteorite's age challenges assumptions about the early solar system and provides insights into the distribution of aluminum-26, a radioactive isotope that played a crucial role in the formation and heating of primitive rocks. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the early developmental stages of the Solar System and the geological history of planets.

science2 years ago

Record-breaking discovery: Earth's oldest piece found.

A 4.4 billion-year-old zircon crystal found in Western Australia's Jack Hills is the oldest piece of Earth's crust ever discovered. Zircons are known to be some of the oldest materials on Earth, forming as a mineral within certain magmas as they cool. The crystal's age suggests that Earth developed liquid water environments around 4.3 billion years ago and possibly life shortly after, providing clues about how life on Earth came to be.