The much dramatic effects of meteorite impact are considerably destructive, as is the case of the one that wiped out the dinosaurs. It is the finding of scientists that indicates the much bigger impact about 3.3 billion years ago-most likely aiding life to thrive-throwing into yet another perspective that space rocks had in the early development of Earth.
An ancient asteroid collision probably triggered the expansion of life on Earth
Around 3.3 billion years ago, life on Earth was very different from what it is today. Only simple, single-celled organisms were present, like bacteria and archaea, and the entire planet was covered with them. Asteroid impact during that time was frequent, and one such impact was from a meteorite dubbed S2. This impact was far greater than Chicxulub, which ended the age of the dinosaurs.
The S2 meteorite, with a size 200 times larger than Chicxulub, struck off the coast of what is now Cape Cod. The resulting events would alter the path of life on Earth. This impact did not doom life as did the more familiar extinction-causing impact; it may have preconditioned it for a flowering elsewhere.
It is supported to prove this by the work of Harvard geologist Nadja Drabon and her colleagues, who unearthed what remains of the ancient impact from the Barberton Greenstone belt in South Africa, a treasure trove of geological history. The aftermath of the cataclysmic event was painstakingly pieced together through rock sample analyses and isotopic carbon data.
S2 meteor has catalyzed a severe global tempest, evaporated oceans, and opened new life avenues
So then at the time of the S2 meteorite falling on Earth, it created a storm of great proportions that churned up the very oceans of the deep and drowned the coastal lands with debris. That very heat from the impact was so great that it boiled the upper parts of the ocean and heated up the atmosphere, creating a globally darkened environment as well where dust clouds blocked sunlight.
Also, global darkness caused disruptions in photosynthesis for many simple organisms’ dependent on sunlight for energy. Well, it was very bad, but it was not that bad. Some bacteria survived those very harsh conditions and grew speedily.
There was a unique turnover at that moment in the fate of some key minerals because of the impact of the Tsunami. Tsunamis dredged iron from the very deep ocean and deposited it into shallower waters, where some bacteria specialized in iron exploitation could take advantage of it.
Besides, part of the impact interactive and erosion of land masses introduced phosphorus into the ecosystems of Earth. These factors were responsible for population booms of bacteria and archaea that utilized these elements now becoming available.
The researchers believe iron-eating bacteria that were initially flourishing in the environment because of the impact played a significant role in early life evolution. Well, it adds another consideration to the understanding of how big and catastrophic events contoured the topography of early Earth and offers windows into the survival of life during its most fragile stages.
S2 meteorite impact challenges faith: Cataclysm events can foster life
A long time ago, impact events were predominantly perceived as disastrous for life. However, the S2 meteorite impact reveals that they are not purely damaging to biological systems. According to Drabon and the team, such early cataclysmic impacts could have triggered the spread of life, especially as the planet was still very much alive during very dynamic circumstances.
The resilience that unicellular organisms, specifically iron- and phosphorus-consuming organisms, exhibit under extremely harsh conditions can be understood how life would adapt and endure in such environments. That discovery by the team in Barberton Greenstone belt is among a number of asteroid impacts in that area, which has proven to be a significant repository of ancient geological evidence.
The bar keeps rising as the research continues. There will be added impacts and tsunamis that could further help explain Earth’s ancient past and life at its earliest stages. Indeed, the S2 meteorite contradicts the argument that impacts are disastrous for life.
According to this research team led by Drabon, most of
such events might even have triggered the expansion of life during the earlier
turmoils of Earth. Their findings within the Barberton Greenstone belt show
proof for how unicellular organisms thrived in extreme conditions. And the plan
is to extract impact traces that would further inform on the early conditions
of Earth and life resilience.
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