Earth's Oldest Impact Crater Identified

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SUMMARY

The Yarrabubba impact structure in Western Australia has been definitively dated to 2229 +/- 5 million years ago, establishing it as the oldest recognized meteorite impact crater on Earth. This finding, published in a recent Nature paper, highlights the potential of meteorite impacts to influence climate change, particularly in relation to the termination of Palaeoproterozoic glacial conditions. The research underscores the significance of precise radiometric dating in understanding geological history.

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TL;DR
Precise radiometric age establishes Yarrabubba, Western Australia, as Earth’s oldest recognised
meteorite impact structure.
The Yarrabubba impact structure in Australia was known to be old, but until now no precise date was available. Researchers have determined its age as 2229 +/- 5 Ma, which makes it the oldest yet recognised. The authors of the paper note that "While the Yarrabubba structure . . . . represents the Earth’s oldest dated impact crater, its coincidence with termination of Palaeoproterozoic glacial conditions prompts further consideration of the ability of meteorite impacts to trigger climate change. "

More details on the BBC website and the Nature paper.
 
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Ophiolite said:
Summary:: Precise radiometric age establishes Yarrabubba, Western Australia, as Earth’s oldest recognised
meteorite impact structure. ......
thanks for that ... great info :smile:
 
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