Title
An archean impact layer from the Pilbara and Kaapvaal cratons
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-23-2002
Abstract
The Barberton greenstone belt of South Africa and the eastern Pilbara block of Western Australia provide information about Earth's surface environments between 3.2 and 3.5 billion years ago, including evidence for four large bolide impacts that likely created large craters, deformed the target rocks, and altered the environment. We have obtained identical single-zircon uranium-lead ages of 3470 +/- 2 million years ago for the oldest impact events from each craton. These deposits represent a single global fallout layer that is associated with sedimentation by an impact-generated tsunami and in Western Australia is represented by a major erosional unconformity.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Science (New York, N.Y.)
First Page
1325
Last Page
7
Recommended Citation
Byerly, G. R., Lowe, D. R., Wooden, J. L., & Xie, X. (2002). An archean impact layer from the Pilbara and Kaapvaal cratons. Science (New York, N.Y.), 297 (5585), 1325-7. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1073934