Is the meteorite impact theory valid? Study finds key evidence of continental formation and dinosaur extinction

Beijing, August 11 (Xinhua) the idea that the mainland was originally formed by a giant meteorite impact has existed for decades, but there has been no evidence to support this theory. A study from Curtin University in Australia provides strong evidence that the formation of the earth's continent began with the impact of giant meteorites billions of years ago and may have led to the extinction of dinosaurs.

"Pierre Barak Raton in Western Australia is one of the best-preserved ancient crustal relics on Earth. By examining the tiny crystals of zircon minerals in the rocks of the region, we found evidence of a giant meteorite impact." Said Dr. Tim Johnson of the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University. Studying the composition of oxygen isotopes in zircon crystals, they found a "top-down" process-oxygen starts with rock melting near the surface and then gradually goes deep underground, which is consistent with the geological effects caused by giant meteorites.

"our research provides the first conclusive evidence that the final formation of continents began with a giant meteorite impact and led to something similar to the extinction of dinosaurs." Dr. Johnson said. He also said it was important to understand the formation and evolution of the earth's continent. "it is particularly important that the continent has key metals such as lithium, tin and nickel, which are essential to driving the emerging green technologies needed to mitigate climate change."

The team plans to later test the discovery on rocks in other ancient continental crustal regions of the earth to verify whether its research model is widely applicable.