Ancient Stromatolites Over 23,000 Years Old Discovered Beneath a Korean Impact Crater

A Major Geological Breakthrough

According to НВ — Техно: May 26, 08:00

Led by Jisu Lim from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), a team of geologists has uncovered stromatolites beneath the Chokjun-Choge crater in Hapcheon. This crater was formed by an asteroid impact roughly 42,000 years ago. The stromatolites-layered mineral structures created by microbial colonies, especially cyanobacteria-date back to a period between 23,400 and 14,600 years ago.

Samples were collected from the crater's northwestern section, with diameters ranging from 10 to 20 centimeters. Mineral analysis confirmed high levels of calcium, calcite, sulfur, and europium. Europium serves as a marker of past hydrothermal activity, suggesting that such processes persisted long after the asteroid strike.

The full findings have been published in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment. This discovery offers fresh insights into the region's geological history and highlights how hydrothermal activity significantly shaped local rock formations.

Why This Discovery Matters

This finding represents a major step forward in understanding Earth's geological processes following asteroid impacts. It also underscores the critical role microorganisms play in building geological structures and restoring natural ecosystems over millennia. Studying these stromatolites could provide new perspectives on how life evolved during the planet's early development.