Context;
A recent study published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” proposes that a meteorite impact 3.26 billion years ago may have acted as a giant fertilizer bomb, significantly boosting the development of early life on Earth.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Key Points
Nutrient Enhancement from Meteorite Impact:
- Source of Essential Nutrients:
- Research from the Barberton Greenstone Belt indicates that a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite impact delivered vital nutrients such as phosphorus and iron. These elements were crucial for the resurgence and proliferation of microbial life and archaea after the impact.
Devastating Impact and Subsequent Recovery:
- Impact and Environmental Consequences:
- The meteorite, vastly larger than the asteroid responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs, measuring between 23-36 miles in diameter, caused significant environmental upheavals. This included a massive vapor cloud and a large-scale tsunami, leading to extended periods of darkness and elevated temperatures.
- Resilience and Adaptation of Early Life:
- Contrary to the belief that meteorite impacts are purely destructive, the study reveals that the post-impact environment, enriched with essential nutrients, facilitated a rapid recovery and flourishing of early microbial life.
-Source: The Hindu
