A meteorite caused the oceans to boil 3 billion years ago. It was what fertilized life, according to a new study

A meteorite of colossal dimensions collided with the Earth more than 3 billion years ago. Not the one that made the dinosaurs extinct, another one that was between 50 and 200 times larger. This catastrophic event was what unleashed the first forms of life on our planet, according to recent research.

A little context. 3.26 billion years ago, in what is known as the archaic eon, our planet was very different. Only single-celled life forms existed, such as bacteria and archaea. The oceans, possibly green from iron, lacked nutrients and were biological deserts.

During this period, the Earth was besieged by bombardment by giant meteorites. At least 16 of those that impacted during the archaic eon exceeded 10 kilometers in diameter. Among them, the S2 meteorite stands out.

The colossal meteorite S2. A Harvard University team led by planetary scientist Nadja Drabon has dedicated recent years to studying the possible effects of the S2 meteorite, which was between 37 and 58 kilometers in diameter when it collided with planet Earth.

The researchers went to South Africa to analyze rocks in the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains, where they found small spherules that had formed upon impact. These particles allowed scientists to reconstruct subsequent events. They were as violent as they were beneficial.

An enriching chaos. The meteorite impact generated a tsunami so large that it swept the entire planet. In turn, the heat was so intense that it boiled the surface of the oceans, evaporating enormous amounts of water, and leaving large saline deposits in their place.

The dust that shot into the atmosphere darkened the sky for years, or perhaps decades, affecting photosynthetic microorganisms. Instead, the churning of the oceans released iron and phosphorus, fueling the rise of bacteria that feed on these essential nutrients.

Prosperity after the catastrophe. Despite the immediate devastating effects of the meteorite, single-celled life quickly recovered and flourished thanks to the sudden abundance of nutrients, the researchers suggest.

S2 acted as a “fertilizer bomb” that enriched the marine environment and accelerated the evolution of life, then exclusively unicellular life. Chicxulub, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, released sulfur and cooled the Earth when it was already teeming with complex life forms.

An important find. This discovery offers new evidence that cosmic impacts don’t just cause devastation. In the case of Earth, they also released essential nutrients to stimulate the early biodiversity that gave rise to the life we ​​know.

Now the team plans to study other impact events to understand whether positive effects on life were common, which could redefine the role of meteorites in the evolution of life on Earth and our own biological origins. Maybe a leading role.

Images | Freepik, Nadja Drabon et al.

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