An ancient Earth impact could help in the search for Martian life

Strange cone-shaped rocks led scientists to the hidden remains of one of Earth’s oldest asteroid impacts. It could help us find fossil life on Mars.

Jul 10, 2025 - 03:30
 0  8
An ancient Earth impact could help in the search for Martian life

Citations

A.R. Brenner et al. Geology and Mars analog potential of the 2.7-billion-yr-ragged Miralga influence constructing, North Pole Dome, Pilbara Craton, Australia. Science Advances. Vol. 11, July 9, 2025. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adu5379.

T. Bosak et al. Astrobiological potential of rocks obtained by the Perseverance Rover at a sedimentary fan front in Jezero Crater, Mars. AGU Advances. Vol. 5, August 2024, e2024AV001241. doi: 10.1029/2024AV001241.

R.J. Baumgartner et al. Pyritic stromatolites from the Paleoarchean Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton: Resolving biogenicity and hydrothermally influenced ecosystem dynamics. Geobiology. Vol. 22, July/August 2024, e12610. doi: 10.1111/gbi.12610.

E.S. Kite and S. Conway. Geological proof for multiple native climate transitions on Early Mars. Nature Geoscience. Vol. 17, January 2024, p. 10. doi: 10.1038/s41561-023-01349-2.

T.M. Erickson et al. Genuine radiometric age establishes Yarrabubba, Western Australia, as Earth’s oldest known meteorite influence constructing. Nature Communications. Printed online January 21, 2020. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13985-7.

Douglas Fox is a freelance journalist based in northern California. He modified into funded by the National Science Foundation to accelerate to Antarctica from November 2019 to January 2020.

What's Your Reaction?

like

dislike

love

funny

angry

sad

wow