Scientists uncover Earth’s oldest asteroid impact crater — 3 billion years old and hidden in Western Australia Scientists confirmed that the North Pole Dome crater in Western Australia’s Pilbara region is the oldest known asteroid impact crater, formed 3.02 billion years ago. The discovery was made by analyzing tiny zircon crystals found in surrounding rocks, which showed skeletal or branching shapes indicating impact modification from intense heat. Kirkland explained that the impact generated a long-lived fractured system reused by fluids, influencing chemical exchange between rocks and early oceans, potentially modifying environments for microbial life. This crater dates to the Archean…

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