When it comes to catastrophic asteroids, the one that wiped out the dinosaurs is infamous. The massive impact led to the extinction of T-Rex and Stegosaurus, forever altering evolution's course. However, researchers suggest another, lesser-known meteorite might have had an even more profound effect – potentially jumpstarting life on Earth. S2, a gargantuan space rock estimated to be four times the size of Mount Everest, is believed to have had a significant impact on Earth, particularly its oceans, Metro reported. The meteorite, S2, was first discovered in 2014 and it hit the planet about 3.26 billion years ago.
This immense rock slammed into Earth, boiling the oceans and unleashing a record-breaking tsunami, a study published in PNAS said.
Recently, scientists ventured to the impact crater in South Africa's Barberton Greenstone belt, created by the meteorite, to investigate its effects on the planet. The team collected 220 pounds of rock and took them back to the lab for analysis.
Their analysis suggested that the huge tsunami it triggered mixed up the ocean and flushed debris from the land into coastal areas. The ocean's surface layer evaporated, boiling off into the atmosphere, while the atmosphere itself was heated, leading to extreme temperature fluctuations. They also found rock evidence showing that the tsunami churned up nutrients such as iron and phosphorus.
Despite the catastrophic effects, researchers propose that this event might have surprisingly spurred life's growth.
“We know that giant meteorite impacts were frequent during Earth's infancy and that they must have affected the evolution of early life, but we didn't have a good understanding of how,” Harvard University geologist Nadja Drabon, lead author of the study said.
''We think of impact events as being disastrous for life. But what this study is highlighting is that these impacts would have had benefits to life, especially early on … these impacts might have actually allowed life to flourish,'' Ms Drabon added.
It could be because Iron, typically scarce in shallow waters, was stirred up from the deep ocean by the massive tsunami, flooding coastal areas with this vital nutrient.
The study concluded, ''Giant impacts were not just agents of destruction but also conferred transient benefits on early life.''
