Oldest known rocks have distinct features resembling those of asteroids: Study
FirstpostThe melting of these rocks is best explained by meteorite impacts, according to the study The oldest evolved rocks on Earth are the consequence of asteroids colliding with the the planet 4 billion years ago, a study Australian research released on Tuesday, 16 August revealed. The study by the Curtin University published in Nature Geoscience suggests that the rocks, part of the Acasta Gneiss Complex in northwest Canada, are the result of asteroids smashing into the Earth and melting its crust, allowing evolved, or granitic, rocks to form, reports Xinhua news agency. “The only known evolved rocks from the Hadean eon are those in northwest Canada, which have chemical compositions clearly distinct from those that dominate ancient continental crust worldwide, suggesting they were formed in a different way,” research co-author Professor Phil Bland said. “The melting of these rocks at such shallow levels is most easily explained by meteorite impacts, which would have supplied the energy to attain the extreme temperatures required for melting,” lead researcher Tim Johnson said.
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