Oldest impact: Dry, red, rocky ground with some hills and a little bit of scrub.
Researchers from Curtin University in Australia have discovered the current record holder for the oldest impact crater on Earth. This highly weathered region in Australia shows evidence that it was struck by a space rock some 3.5 billion years ago. Image via Chris Kirkland/ Curtin University.
New record for oldest impact crater on Earth
We have a new record holder for the oldest-known impact crater on Earth. The previous record holder was the 2.2-billion-year-old Yarrabubba impact structure in Australia. The new record holder is also in Australia and dates back a whopping 3.5 billion years. Researchers from Curtin University in Perth said on March 6, 2025, that the new discovery:
could significantly redefine our understanding of the origins of life and how our planet was shaped.
The researchers published their study in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications on March 6, 2025.
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Shatter cones
The researchers discovered shatter cones in an area of Western Australia called the North Pole Dome.
Shatter cones are rare rocks that show evidence of huge impacts in the form of striations. When a meteorite strikes Earth, the shockwave travels into the rock below, leaving a branching pattern with cone-shaped pieces. These pieces point back toward the impact location.
This particular space rock barreled into Earth at more than 22,000 miles per hour (36,000 km/h). The scientists said it would have been a major event. The resulting crater would have been more than 60 miles (100 km) wide, with debris from the impact flying around the globe.
A map of Australia with a red X over an area in the northwestern region.
X marks the spot where a giant meteorite struck Earth some 3.5 billion years ago. Researchers on the ground in Western Australia found evidence of shatter cones here. Keep in mind that the continents did not look like this 3.5 billion years ago, though. Watch 1.8 billion years of plate tectonics on Earth. Image via Hans Braxmeier/ Wikimedia Commons/ EarthSky.
A missing part of our history
We can see from objects like the moon and Mercury that the inner solar system took a heavy bombardment at some early period in time. But just what role the impacts had on the early modification of Earth’s crust has largely been a matter of debate. That’s because Earth has gone through extensive changes in its history. Billions of years of volcanism, plate tectonics, ice ages and more mean the craters from early impacts are not easy to discover.
Co-lead author Tim Johnson of Curtin University said:
We know large impacts were common in the early solar system from looking at the moon. Until now, the absence of any truly ancient craters means they are largely ignored by geologists. This study provides a crucial piece of the puzzle of Earth’s impact history and suggests there may be many other ancient craters that could be discovered over time.
The oldest impact known and its effects on early Earth
So what kind of an “impact” might this meteorite have had on early Earth? Co-lead author Chris Kirkland of Curtin University said:
Uncovering this impact and finding more from the same time period could explain a lot about how life may have got started, as impact craters created environments friendly to microbial life such as hot water pools.
It also radically refines our understanding of crust formation: the tremendous amount of energy from this impact could have played a role in shaping early Earth’s crust by pushing one part of the Earth’s crust under another, or by forcing magma to rise from deep within the Earth’s mantle toward the surface.
It may have even contributed to the formation of cratons, which are large, stable landmasses that became the foundation of continents.
Bottom line: Researchers in Australia have discovered a new record holder for the oldest impact crater on Earth yet known. It suggests a large meteorite smashed into Earth some 3.5 billion years ago.
Source: A Paleoarchaean impact crater in the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia
Via Curtin University
Kelly Kizer Whitt
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About the Author:
Kelly Kizer Whitt - EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube - writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.