Meteorite S2: A Massive London-Size Rock That Hit Earth

The research team has succeeded in reconstructing the event when S2 violently hit Earth. This impact created a 500 km long crater and shattered rocks that were ejected at very high speeds, creating a cloud that surrounded the Earth.

“Think of water, but instead of drops of water, it’s like drops of molten rock falling from the sky,” said Prof. Drabon.

A massive tsunami swept across the world, ripping up the seabed and flooding coastlines. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Dr. Drabon, it would seem small compared to this.

All that energy brings a lot of heat to boil the ocean, causing up to tens of meters of water to evaporate. It also increases the temperature of the air up to 100 degrees Celsius.

The sky will be dark, full of dust and particles. Without sunlight penetrating the darkness, life on land or in shallow water that relies on photosynthesis would disappear.

This effect is similar to what geologists find in effects meteorite another big one.

However, Prof. Drabon and his team were surprised. Rock evidence shows that this violent upheaval stirred up nutrients such as phosphorus and iron that fed simple organisms.

“Life is not only alive, but actually recovers very quickly and thrives,” said Prof. Drabon.

“It’s like when you brush your teeth in the morning. It kills 99.9 percent of the bacteria, but at night they all come back, right?”

The new findings show that the big impact was like a big fertilizer, spreading essential materials for life such as phosphorus around the world.

The tsunami that swept across the planet brought iron-rich water from the depths to the surface, providing extra energy for early microbes.

“This discovery adds to the growing belief among scientists that early life was aided by a series of rocks that hit the Earth in its early years,” said Prof. Drabon.

“It seems that life after the victory found very favorable conditions that allowed it to flourish. “

The latest findings regarding the S2 meteorite were published in the scientific journal PNAS.