Widespread mixing and burial of Earth’s Hadean crust by asteroid impacts
Abstract
The history of the Hadean Earth (∼4.0-4.5 billion years ago) is poorly understood because few known rocks are older than ∼3.8 billion years old. The main constraints from this era come from ancient submillimetre zircon grains. Some of these zircons date back to ∼4.4 billion years ago when the Moon, and presumably the Earth, was being pummelled by an enormous flux of extraterrestrial bodies. The magnitude and exact timing of these early terrestrial impacts, and their effects on crustal growth and evolution, are unknown. Here we provide a new bombardment model of the Hadean Earth that has been calibrated using existing lunar and terrestrial data. We find that the surface of the Hadean Earth was widely reprocessed by impacts through mixing and burial by impact-generated melt. This model may explain the age distribution of Hadean zircons and the absence of early terrestrial rocks. Existing oceans would have repeatedly boiled away into steam atmospheres as a result of large collisions as late as about 4 billion years ago.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The estimated median age of the last impact big enough to vaporize the entire ocean is ~4.3 Ga ago.
“The estimated median age of the last impact big enough to vaporize the entire ocean is ~4.3 Ga ago (22)”
From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [22]
Cites
Murray, C. D., & Dermott, S. F. (2000) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139174817 · Cited by 2,956 · see citing works
Impact cratering—A geologic process
LIPSCHUTZ, M. E. (1989) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(89)90150-6 · Cited by 2,279 · see citing works
Turcotte, D. L., & Schubert, G. (2002) · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511807442 · Cited by 2,162 · see citing works
Impact Cratering: A Geologic Process
Melosh, H. J. (1986) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 2,077 · see citing works
Saxena, S. K., & Fei, Y. (1988) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(88)90314-6 · Cited by 1,768 · see citing works
Wilde, S. A., Valley, J. W., Peck, W. H., & Graham, C. M. (2001) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35051550 · Cited by 1,744 · see citing works
Impact and Explosion Cratering
Runcorn, S. K. (1984) · Physics of The Earth and Planetary Interiors · doi:10.1016/0031-9201(84)90073-6 · Cited by 1,316 · see citing works
Thermal history of the Earth and its petrological expression
Herzberg, C., Condie, K., & Korenaga, J. (2010) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.01.022 · Cited by 1,148 · see citing works
Zircon Thermometer Reveals Minimum Melting Conditions on Earliest Earth
Watson, E. B., & Harrison, T. M. (2005) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1110873 · Cited by 955 · see citing works
Bédard, J. H. (2006) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2005.11.008 · Cited by 887 · see citing works
Oxygen-isotope evidence from ancient zircons for liquid water at the Earth's surface 4,300 Myr ago
Mojzsis, S. J., Harrison, T. M., & Pidgeon, R. T. (2001) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35051557 · Cited by 863 · see citing works
The Scaling of Impact Processes in Planetary Sciences
Holsapple, K. A. (1993) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev.ea.21.050193.002001 · Cited by 804 · see citing works
The origin of the Moon and the single-impact hypothesis III
Benz, W., Cameron, A. G. W., & Melosh, H. J. (1989) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/0019-1035(89)90129-2 · Cited by 645 · see citing works
Annihilation of ecosystems by large asteroid impacts on the early Earth
Sleep, N. H., Zahnle, K. J., Kasting, J. F., & Morowitz, H. J. (1989) · Nature · doi:10.1038/342139a0 · Cited by 574 · see citing works
Acoustic fluidization: A new geologic process?
Melosh, H. J. (1979) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/jb084ib13p07513 · Cited by 535 · see citing works
Wünnemann, K., Collins, G. S., & Melosh, H. J. (2005) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.10.013 · Cited by 528 · see citing works
A Reevaluation of Impact Melt Production
Pierazzo, E., Vickery, A. M., & Melosh, H. J. (1997) · Icarus · doi:10.1006/icar.1997.5713 · Cited by 524 · see citing works
Modeling damage and deformation in impact simulations
Collins, G. S., Melosh, H. J., & Ivanov, B. A. (2004) · Meteoritics and Planetary Science · doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00337.x · Cited by 523 · see citing works
Foulger, G. R., Natland, J. H., Presnall, D. C., & Anderson, D. L. (2005) · Geological Society of America eBooks · doi:10.1130/spe388 · Cited by 494 · see citing works
Kemp, A. I. S., Wilde, S. A., Hawkesworth, C. J., Coath, C. D., Nemchin, A. A., Pidgeon, R. T., Vervoort, J. D., & DuFrane, S. A. (2010) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.04.043 · Cited by 491 · see citing works
The Hadean Crust: Evidence from >4 Ga Zircons
Harrison, T. M. (2009) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev.earth.031208.100151 · Cited by 433 · see citing works
The Origin of Planetary Impactors in the Inner Solar System
STROM, R. G., Malhotra, R., Itô, T., Yoshida, F., & KRING, D. A. (2005) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1113544 · Cited by 418 · see citing works
Self-citationMagma ocean formation due to giant impacts
Tonks, W. B., & Melosh, H. J. (1993) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/92je02726 · Cited by 415 · see citing works
Catastrophic events and mass extinctions: impacts and beyond
Koeberl, C., & MacLeod, K. G. (2002) · Geological Society of America eBooks · doi:10.1130/spe356 · Cited by 404 · see citing works
An Archaean heavy bombardment from a destabilized extension of the asteroid belt
Bottke, W. F., Vokrouhlický, D., Minton, D. A., Nesvorný, D., Morbidelli, A., Brasser, R., Simonson, B. M., & Levison, H. F. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature10967 · Cited by 392 · see citing works
Self-citationEmergence of a Habitable Planet
Zahnle, K., Arndt, N., Cockell, C., Halliday, A., Nisbet, E., Selsis, F., & Sleep, N. H. (2007) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-007-9225-z · Cited by 380 · see citing works
Walker, R. J. (2009) · Geochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2008.10.001 · Cited by 379 · see citing works
Cavosie, A. J., Valley, J. W., Wilde, S. A., & E.I.M.F. (2005) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.04.028 · Cited by 360 · see citing works
A hydrocode equation of state for SiO 2
Melosh, H. J. (2007) · Meteoritics and Planetary Science · doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01009.x · Cited by 341 · see citing works
Planetary accretion in the inner Solar System
Chambers, J. E. (2004) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2004.04.031 · Cited by 341 · see citing works
COLLISIONS BETWEEN GRAVITY-DOMINATED BODIES. I. OUTCOME REGIMES AND SCALING LAWS
Stewart, S., & Leinhardt, Z. (2011) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/745/1/79 · Cited by 326 · see citing works
Canup, R. M. (2004) · Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics · doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.41.082201.113457 · Cited by 325 · see citing works
CRATERING OF PLANETARY SATELLITES
Chapman, C. R., & McKinnon, W. B. (1986) · University of Arizona Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/j.ctv1v3gr3r.15 · Cited by 275 · see citing works
Stoeffler, D. (1972) · NASA Technical Reports Server (NASA) · Cited by 267 · see citing works
A sawtooth-like timeline for the first billion years of lunar bombardment
Morbidelli, A., Marchi, S., Bottke, W. F., & KRING, D. A. (2012) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.07.037 · Cited by 266 · see citing works
Self-citationProcesses on the young earth and the habitats of early life
Arndt, N. T., & Nisbet, E. G. (2012) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105316 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Mass flux in the ancient Earth‐Moon system and benign implications for the origin of life on Earth
Ryder, G. (2002) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2001je001583 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
Grieve, R. A. F., & Cintala, M. J. (1992) · Meteoritics · doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1992.tb01074.x · Cited by 251 · see citing works
Stochastic Late Accretion to Earth, the Moon, and Mars
Bottke, W. F., Walker, R. J., Day, J. M. D., David Nesvorný, A., & Elkins-Tanton, L. T. (2010) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1196874 · Cited by 244 · see citing works
Self-citationMelt Production in Oblique Impacts
Pierazzo, E. (2000) · Icarus · doi:10.1006/icar.1999.6332 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
The Hadean-Archaean Environment
Sleep, N. H. (2010) · Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology · doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a002527 · Cited by 228 · see citing works
A NEW CHRONOLOGY FOR THE MOON AND MERCURY
Marchi, S., Mottola, S., Cremonese, G., Massironi, M., & Martellato, E. (2009) · The Astronomical Journal · doi:10.1088/0004-6256/137/6/4936 · Cited by 224 · see citing works
Self-citationHighly Siderophile Element Constraints on Accretion and Differentiation of the Earth-Moon System
Day, J. M. D., Pearson, D. G., & Taylor, L. A. (2007) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1133355 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Constraining the size of the South Pole-Aitken basin impact
Potter, R. W. K., Collins, G. S., Kiefer, W. S., McGovern, P. J., & KRING, D. A. (2012) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.05.032 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Self-citationThe world turns over: Hadean–Archean crust–mantle evolution
Griffin, W. L., Belousova, E. A., O’Neill, C., O'Reilly, S. Y., Мальковец, В. Г., Pearson, N. J., Spetsius, S., & Wilde, S. A. (2013) · Lithos · doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2013.08.018 · Cited by 206 · see citing works
Elbeshausen, D., Wünnemann, K., & Collins, G. S. (2009) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.07.018 · Cited by 206 · see citing works
Numerical modelling of impact melt production in porous rocks
Wünnemann, K., Collins, G. S., & Osinski, G. R. (2008) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.03.007 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Fassett, C. I., Head, J. W., III, Kadish, S. J., Mazarico, E., Neumann, G. A., Smith, D. E., & Zuber, M. T. (2011) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2011je003951 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Core formation by giant impacts
Tonks, W. B., & Melosh, H. J. (1992) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/0019-1035(92)90104-f · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Holden, P. N., Lanc, P., Ireland, T. R., Harrison, T. M., Foster, J. J., & Bruce, Z. (2009) · International Journal of Mass Spectrometry · doi:10.1016/j.ijms.2009.06.007 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Global resurfacing of Mercury 4.0–4.1 billion years ago by heavy bombardment and volcanism
Marchi, S., Chapman, C. R., Fassett, C. I., Head, J. W., III, Bottke, W. F., & STROM, R. G. (2013) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature12280 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Self-citationSequence and mechanisms of deformation around the Hellas and Isidis Impact Basins on Mars
Wichman, R. W., & Schultz, P. H. (1989) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/jb094ib12p17333 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Kamber, B. S., Whitehouse, M. J., Bolhar, R., & Moorbath, S. E. (2005) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.09.037 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
O’Keefe, J. D., & Ahrens, T. J. (1993) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/93je01330 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Impacts do not initiate volcanic eruptions: Eruptions close to the crater
Ivanov, B. A., & Melosh, H. J. (2003) · Geology · doi:10.1130/g19669.1 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
High-velocity collisions from the lunar cataclysm recorded in asteroidal meteorites
Marchi, S., Bottke, W. F., Cohen, B. A., Wünnemann, K., KRING, D. A., McSWEEN, H. Y., Jr., Sanctis, M. C. D., O'Brien, D. P., Schenk, P. M., Raymond, C. A., et al. (2013) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/ngeo1769 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Self-citationPOSSIBLE DISINTEGRATING SHORT-PERIOD SUPER-MERCURY ORBITING KIC 12557548
Chiang, E., Mellah, I. E., Jenkins, J. M., Kalomeni, B., Kite, E. S., Kotson, M. C., Nelson, L. A., Rousseau-Nepton, L., Tran, K., Rappaport, S., et al. (2012) · DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) · Cited by 131 · see citing works
High sensitivity mapping of Ti distributions in Hadean zircons
Harrison, T. M., & Schmitt, A. K. (2007) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2007.05.016 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
The onset of the lunar cataclysm as recorded in its ancient crater populations
Marchi, S., Bottke, W. F., KRING, D. A., & Morbidelli, A. (2012) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.01.021 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Self-citationFluid dynamics of local martian magma oceans
Reese, C. C., & Solomatov, V. S. (2006) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.04.008 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Shock experiments with the H6 chondrite Kernouvé: Pressure calibration of microscopic shock effects
Schmitt, R. T. (2000) · Meteoritics and Planetary Science · doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01435.x · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Experimental constraints on shock-induced microstructures in naturally deformed silicates
Huffman, A. R., & Reimold, W. U. (1996) · Tectonophysics · doi:10.1016/0040-1951(95)00162-x · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Norman, M., & Nemchin, A. (2014) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.11.040 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Geochemical Fingerprinting of the Earth’s Oldest Rocks
Pearce, J. A. (2014) · Geology · doi:10.1130/focus022014.1 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Thermal perturbations caused by large impacts and consequences for mantle convection
Watters, W. A., Zuber, M. T., & Hager, B. H. (2009) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2007je002964 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Giant meteoroid impacts can cause volcanism
Elkins-Tanton, L. T., & Hager, B. H. (2005) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.07.029 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Self-citationDifferential melt scaling for oblique impacts on terrestrial planets
Abramov, O., Wong, S. M., & KRING, D. A. (2012) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.12.022 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Self-citationThe impact environment of the Hadean Earth
Abramov, O., KRING, D. A., & Mojzsis, S. J. (2013) · Geochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2013.08.004 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Self-citationTHE LAST STAGES OF TERRESTRIAL PLANET FORMATION: DYNAMICAL FRICTION AND THE LATE VENEER
Schlichting, H. E., Warren, P. H., & Yin, Q. (2012) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/752/1/8 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Velocity scaling impact melt volume
Bjorkman, M. D., & Holsapple, K. A. (1987) · International Journal of Impact Engineering · doi:10.1016/0734-743x(87)90035-2 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Dynamical and collisional constraints on a stochastic late veneer on the terrestrial planets
Raymond, S. N., Schlichting, H. E., Hersant, F., & Selsis, F. (2013) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.06.019 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Geochemical signatures and magmatic stability of terrestrial impact produced zircon
Wielicki, M. M., Harrison, T. M., & Schmitt, A. K. (2012) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.01.009 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
The oldest rocks on Earth: time constraints and geological controversies
Kamber, B. S., Moorbath, S. E., & Whitehouse, M. J. (2001) · Geological Society London Special Publications · doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.2001.190.01.13 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Rogers, A. D., & Nazarian, A. H. (2013) · Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · doi:10.1002/jgre.20083 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Comment on "Zircon Thermometer Reveals Minimum Melting Conditions on Earliest Earth" II
Nutman, A. P. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1120977 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Large-scale impacts and the evolution of the Earth's crust: The early years
Grieve, R. A. F., Cintala, M. J., & Therriault, A. M. (2006) · Geological Society of America eBooks · doi:10.1130/2006.2405(02 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Impact melt sheet zircons and their implications for the Hadean crust
Darling, J. R., Storey, C. D., & Hawkesworth, C. J. (n.d.) · BORIS (University Library Bern) · doi:10.7892/boris.85676 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Catling, D. C., & Zahnle, K. J. (2020) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax1420 · Cited by 568 · see citing works
Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover
Vago, J. L., Westall, F., Teams, L. S. P. I., Coates, A. J., Ralf Jaumann, E., Korablev, O., Ciarletti, V., Mitrofanov, I. G., Josset, J., Sanctis, M. C. D., et al. (2017) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2016.1533 · Cited by 498 · see citing works
Origins of building blocks of life: A review
Kitadai, N., & Maruyama, S. (2018) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2017.07.007 · Cited by 464 · see citing works
Bédard, J. H. J. (2017) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2017.01.005 · Cited by 445 · see citing works
Plate Tectonics and the Archean Earth
Brown, M., Johnson, T. E., & Gardiner, N. J. (2020) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-081619-052705 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth
Palin, R. M., Santosh, M., Cao, W., Li, S.-S., Hernández-Uribe, D., & Parsons, A. (2020) · Earth-Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103172 · Cited by 355 · see citing works
“This process likely also induced widespread mixing, destruction, and/or resurfacing of the Earth's Hadean crust (Marchi et al., 2014; O'Neill et al., 2020).”
BackgroundBottke, W. F., & Norman, M. D. (2017) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-063016-020131 · Cited by 271 · see citing works
Self-citationThe evolving nature of terrestrial crust from the Hadean, through the Archaean, into the Proterozoic
Kamber, B. S. (2015) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2014.12.007 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
Earth's Continental Lithosphere Through Time
Hawkesworth, C. J., Cawood, P. A., Dhuime, B., & Kemp, T. I. S. (2017) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-063016-020525 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
A Hydrothermal-Sedimentary Context for the Origin of Life
Westall, F., Hickman-Lewis, K., Hinman, N., Gautret, P., Campbell, K. A., Bréhéret, J. G., Foucher, F., Hubert, A., Sorieul, S., Dass, A. V., et al. (2018) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2017.1680 · Cited by 189 · see citing works
Tectonics and crustal evolution
Hawkesworth, C. J., Cawood, P. A., & Dhuime, B. (2016) · GSA Today · doi:10.1130/gsatg272a.1 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Formation of Hadean granites by melting of igneous crust
Burnham, A. D., & Berry, A. J. (2017) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/ngeo2942 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Impact-driven subduction on the Hadean Earth
O’Neill, C., Marchi, S., Zhang, S., & Bottke, W. F. (2017) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/ngeo3029 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Self-citationOrigin and Evolution of the Cometary Reservoirs
Luke Dones, B., Brasser, R., Kaib, N. A., & Rickman, H. (2015) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-015-0223-2 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
The evolution of Hadean–Eoarchaean geodynamics
O’Neill, C., & Debaille, V. (2014) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2014.08.034 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
An andesitic source for Jack Hills zircon supports onset of plate tectonics in the Hadean
Turner, S., Wilde, S. A., Wörner, G., Schaefer, B. F., & Lai, Y.-J. (2020) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-020-14857-1 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Olierook, H. K. H., Clark, C., Reddy, S. M., Mazumder, R., Jourdan, F., & Evans, N. J. (2019) · Earth-Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.04.020 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Illusory Late Heavy Bombardments
Boehnke, P., & Harrison, T. M. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1611535113 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Ehlmann, B. L., Anderson, F. S., Andrews‐Hanna, J. C., Catling, D. C., Christensen, P. R., Cohen, B. A., Dressing, C. D., Edwards, C. S., Elkins-Tanton, L. T., Farley, K. A., et al. (2016) · Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · doi:10.1002/2016je005134 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Self-citationHadean geodynamics and the nature of early continental crust
Korenaga, J. (2021) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2021.106178 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Onset of Giant Planet Migration before 4480 Million Years Ago
Mojzsis, S. J., Brasser, R., Kelly, N. M., Abramov, O., & Werner, S. C. (2019) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab2c03 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Continental growth seen through the sedimentary record
Dhuime, B., Hawkesworth, C. J., Delavault, H., & Cawood, P. A. (2017) · Sedimentary Geology · doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2017.06.001 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Probing the hydrothermal system of the Chicxulub impact crater
KRING, D. A., Tikoo-Schantz, S. M., Schmieder, M., Riller, U., Rebolledo‐Vieyra, M., Simpson, S. L., Osinski, G. R., Gattacceca, J., Wittmann, A. D., Verhagen, C., et al. (2020) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaz3053 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Self-citationThe missing large impact craters on Ceres
Marchi, S., Ermakov, A., Raymond, C. A., Fu, R. R., O'Brien, D. P., Bland, M. T., Ammannito, E., Sanctis, M. C. D., Bowling, T. J., Schenk, P. M., et al. (2016) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms12257 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Self-citationDating the Moon-forming impact event with asteroidal meteorites
Bottke, W. F., Vokrouhlický, D., Marchi, S., Swindle, T. D., SCOTT, E. R. D., Weirich, J. R., & Levison, H. F. (2015) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aaa0602 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Self-citationRivilla, V. M., Colzi, L., Jiménez-Serra, I., Martín-Pintado, J., Megías, A., Melosso, M., Bizzocchi, L., López-Gallifa, Á., Martínez-Henares, A., Massalkhi, S., et al. (2022) · The Astrophysical Journal Letters · doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac6186 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Heterogeneous delivery of silicate and metal to the Earth by large planetesimals
Marchi, S., Canup, R. M., & Walker, R. J. (2017) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-017-0022-3 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Self-citationWhen Did Life Likely Emerge on Earth in an RNA‐First Process?
Benner, S. A., Bell, E. A., Biondi, E., Brasser, R., Carell, T., Kim, H., Mojzsis, S. J., Omran, A., Pasek, M. A., & Trail, D. (2020) · ChemSystemsChem · doi:10.1002/syst.201900035 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
The terrestrial late veneer from core disruption of a lunar-sized impactor
Genda, H., Brasser, R., & Mojzsis, S. J. (2017) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2017.09.041 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Phosphorus availability on the early Earth and the impacts of life
Walton, C. R., Ewens, S. D., Coates, J. D., Blake, R. E., Planavsky, N. J., Reinhard, C. T., Ju, P., Hao, J., & Pasek, M. A. (2023) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-023-01167-6 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Harrison, T. M., Bell, E. A., & Boehnke, P. (2017) · Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry · doi:10.2138/rmg.2017.83.11 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Tungsten isotope composition of the Acasta Gneiss Complex
Willbold, M., Mojzsis, S. J., Chen, H.-W., & Elliott, T. R. (2015) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.02.040 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
A terrestrial perspective on usingex situshocked zircons to date lunar impacts
Cavosie, A. J., Erickson, T. M., Timms, N. E., Reddy, S. M., Talavera, C., Montalvo, S. D., Pincus, M., Gibbon, R. J., & Moser, D. E. (2015) · Geology · doi:10.1130/g37059.1 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
The Case for a Gaian Bottleneck: The Biology of Habitability
Chopra, A., & Lineweaver, C. H. (2016) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1387 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Schreibersite on the early Earth: Scenarios for prebiotic phosphorylation
Pasek, M. A. (2016) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2016.06.008 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Was There Land on the Early Earth?
Korenaga, J. (2021) · Life · doi:10.3390/life11111142 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Snape, J. F., Nemchin, A. A., Grange, M. L., Bellucci, J. J., Thiessen, F., & Whitehouse, M. J. (2015) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.gca.2015.11.005 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Astrobiology and the Possibility of Life on Earth and Elsewhere…
Cottin, H., Kotler, J. M., Bartik, K., Cleaves, H. J., Cockell, C. S., Vera, J.-P. P. D., Ehrenfreund, P., Leuko, S., ten Kate, I. L., Martins, Z., et al. (2015) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-015-0196-1 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Camprubí, E., de Leeuw, J. W., House, C. H., Raulin, F., Russell, M. J., Spang, A., Tirumalai, M. R., & Westall, F. (2019) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-019-0624-8 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
“2012), modelled to be related to perturbations in the orbits of the giant outer planets (Kemp et al. 2010; Marchi et al. 2014).”
BackgroundInitiation of plate tectonics in the Hadean: Eclogitization triggered by the ABEL Bombardment
Maruyama, S., Santosh, M., & Azuma, S. (2016) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2016.11.009 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Giant impacts and the origin and evolution of continents
Johnson, T. E., Kirkland, C. L., Lu, Y., Smithies, R. H., Brown, M., & Hartnady, M. I. H. (2022) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04956-y · Cited by 81 · see citing works
In search of late-stage planetary building blocks
Walker, R. J., Bermingham, K. R., Liu, J., Puchtel, I. S., Touboul, M., & Worsham, E. A. (2015) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.06.028 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Chatterjee, S., & Yadav, S. (2019) · Life · doi:10.3390/life9010025 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
“Asteroids were continuously battering the Hadean Earth [5].”
BackgroundCrustal rejuvenation stabilised Earth’s first cratons
Mulder, J. A., Nebel, O., Gardiner, N. J., Cawood, P. A., Wainwright, A. N., & Ivanic, T. (2021) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23805-6 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Late veneer and late accretion to the terrestrial planets
Brasser, R., Mojzsis, S. J., Werner, S. C., Matsumura, S., & Ida, S. (2016) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2016.09.013 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Kadoya, S., Krissansen‐Totton, J., & Catling, D. C. (2020) · Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems · doi:10.1029/2019gc008734 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
“Mat et al. (2008) suggests that life arose with RNA under psychrophilic to mesophilic conditions, then propagated to and survived under thermophilic to hyperthermophilic conditions.”
BackgroundOrigin of Earth’s oceans: An assessment of the total amount, history and supply of water
Genda, H. (2016) · GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL · doi:10.2343/geochemj.2.0398 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
An impact melt origin for Earth’s oldest known evolved rocks
Johnson, T. E., Gardiner, N. J., Miljković, K., Spencer, C. J., Kirkland, C. L., Bland, P. A., & Smithies, R. H. (2018) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-018-0206-5 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Hopkins, M. D., & Mojzsis, S. J. (2015) · Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology · doi:10.1007/s00410-015-1123-x · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Liu, S., Wang, M., Wan, Y., Guo, R., Wang, W., Wang, K., Guo, B., Fu, J., & Hu, F. (2017) · Precambrian Research · doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2017.04.003 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
The Architecture and Evolution of the Singhbhum Craton
Mukhopadhyay, D., & Matin, A. (2020) · Episodes · doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2020/020002 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Geological and Geochemical Constraints on the Origin and Evolution of Life
Sleep, N. H. (2018) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2017.1778 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Origin-of-life Molecules in the Atmosphere after Big Impacts on the Early Earth
Wogan, N. F., Catling, D. C., Zahnle, K. J., & Lupu, R. (2023) · The Planetary Science Journal · doi:10.3847/psj/aced83 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
HARTMANN, W. K. (2019) · Geosciences · doi:10.3390/geosciences9070285 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Origin of the Earth: A proposal of new model called ABEL
Maruyama, S., & Ebisuzaki, T. (2016) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2016.10.005 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Reconstructing the late-accretion history of the Moon
Zhu, M., Artemieva, N. A., Morbidelli, A., Yin, Q., Becker, H., & Wünnemann, K. (2019) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1359-0 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Self-citationThe nature of Earth’s first crust
Carlson, R. W., Garçon, M., OʼNeil, J., Reimink, J., & Rizo, H. (2019) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.119321 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Siderophile Elements in Tracing Planetary Formation and Evolution
Walker, R. J. (2016) · Geochemical Perspectives · doi:10.7185/geochempersp.5.1 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Are the Moon's Nearside‐Farside Asymmetries the Result of a Giant Impact?
Zhu, M., Wünnemann, K., Potter, R. W. K., Kleine, T., & Morbidelli, A. (2019) · Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · doi:10.1029/2018je005826 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-citationWogan, N. F., Krissansen‐Totton, J., & Catling, D. C. (2020) · The Planetary Science Journal · doi:10.3847/psj/abb99e · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Phosphorus mineral evolution and prebiotic chemistry: From minerals to microbes
Walton, C. R., Shorttle, O., Jenner, F. E., Williams, H. M., Golden, J. J., Morrison, S. M., Downs, R. T., Zerkle, A. L., Hazen, R. M., & Pasek, M. A. (2021) · Earth-Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103806 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
A symbiotic view of the origin of life at hydrothermal impact crater-lakes
Chatterjee, S. (2016) · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics · doi:10.1039/c6cp00550k · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Cubic zirconia in >2370 °C impact melt records Earth's hottest crust
Timms, N. E., Erickson, T. M., Zanetti, M., Pearce, M. A., Cayron, C., Cavosie, A. J., Reddy, S. M., Wittmann, A. D., & Carpenter, P. K. (2017) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2017.08.012 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
The terrestrial record of Late Heavy Bombardment
Lowe, D. R., & Byerly, G. R. (2018) · New Astronomy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.newar.2018.03.002 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
A post-accretionary lull in large impacts on early Mars
Bottke, W. F., & Andrews‐Hanna, J. C. (2017) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/ngeo2937 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Self-citationThe role of impacts on Archaean tectonics
O’Neill, C., Marchi, S., Bottke, W. F., & Fu, R. R. (2019) · Geology · doi:10.1130/g46533.1 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Self-citationImpact-induced melting during accretion of the Earth
de Vries, J., Nimmo, F., Melosh, H. J., Jacobson, S. A., Morbidelli, A., & Rubie, D. C. (2016) · Progress in Earth and Planetary Science · doi:10.1186/s40645-016-0083-8 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Self-citationWang, D., Qiu, X., & Carlson, R. W. (2023) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118037 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Potassic, high-silica Hadean crust
Boehnke, P., Bell, E. A., Stephan, T., Trappitsch, R., Keller, C. B., Pardo, O. S., Davis, A. M., Harrison, T. M., & Pellin, M. J. (2018) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1720880115 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Latypov, R. M., Chistyakova, S. Y., Grieve, R. A. F., & Huhma, H. (2019) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-019-08467-9 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Molecular Precursors of the RNA-World in Space: New Nitriles in the G+0.693−0.027 Molecular Cloud
Rivilla, V. M., Jiménez-Serra, I., Martín-Pintado, J., Colzi, L., Tercero, B., de Vicente, P., Zeng, S., Martín, S., de la Concepción, J. G., Bizzocchi, L., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences · doi:10.3389/fspas.2022.876870 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Mineral self-organization on a lifeless planet
Garcı́a-Ruiz, J. M., van Zuilen, M. A., & Bach, W. (2020) · Physics of Life Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2020.01.001 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Late Accretion and the Late Veneer
Morbidelli, A., & Wood, B. J. (2015) · Geophysical monograph · doi:10.1002/9781118860359.ch4 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Self-citationSynthesis of prebiotic organics from CO2 by catalysis with meteoritic and volcanic particles
Peters, S., Semenov, D. A., Hochleitner, R., & Trapp, O. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-33741-8 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Hansen, V. L. (2018) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences · doi:10.1098/rsta.2017.0412 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
HCN Production via Impact Ejecta Reentry During the Late Heavy Bombardment
Parkos, D., Pikus, A., Alexeenko, A., & Melosh, H. J. (2018) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1002/2017je005393 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Cohen, Z. R., Todd, Z. R., Wogan, N. F., Black, R. A., Keller, S. L., & Catling, D. C. (2022) · ACS Earth and Space Chemistry · doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00168 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Hadean mantle oxidation inferred from melting of peridotite under lower-mantle conditions
Kuwahara, H., Nakada, R., Kadoya, S., Yoshino, T., & Irifune, T. (2023) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-023-01169-4 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Nesvorný, D., Roig, F., Vokrouhlický, D., Bottke, W. F., Marchi, S., Morbidelli, A., & Deienno, R. (2023) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115545 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Self-citationDifferentiated impact melt sheets may be a potential source of Hadean detrital zircon
Kenny, G. G., Whitehouse, M. J., & Kamber, B. S. (2016) · Geology · doi:10.1130/g37898.1 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
A compositionally heterogeneous martian mantle due to late accretion
Marchi, S., Walker, R. J., & Canup, R. M. (2020) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aay2338 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Self-citationProbing space to understand Earth
Lapôtre, M. G. A., O'Rourke, J. G., Schaefer, L., Siebach, K. L., Spalding, C., Tikoo-Schantz, S. M., & Wordsworth, R. (2020) · Nature Reviews Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43017-020-0029-y · Cited by 40 · see citing works
I-type and S-type granites in the Earth’s earliest continental crust
Zhong, S., Li, S., Liu, Y., Cawood, P. A., & Seltmann, R. (2023) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00731-7 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Decline of giant impacts on Mars by 4.48 billion years ago and an early opportunity for habitability
Moser, D. E., Arcuri, G. A., Reinhard, D. A., White, L. F., Darling, J. R., Barker, I. R., Larson, D. J., Irving, A. J., Mccubbin, F. M., Tait, K. T., et al. (2019) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-019-0380-0 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Thermal effects of impact bombardments on Noachian Mars
Abramov, O., & Mojzsis, S. J. (2016) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2016.02.035 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
There were no large volumes of felsic continental crust in the early Earth
Rollinson, H. (2017) · Geosphere · doi:10.1130/ges01437.1 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
The evolution of the surface of the mineral schreibersite in prebiotic chemistry
Cruz, N. L. L., Qasim, D., Abbott-Lyon, H. L., Pirim, C., McKee, A. D., Orlando, T. M., Gull, M., Lindsay, D., & Pasek, M. A. (2016) · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics · doi:10.1039/c6cp00836d · Cited by 35 · see citing works
From the Hadean to the Himalaya: 4.4 Ga of felsic terrestrial magmatism
Harrison, T. M., & Wielicki, M. M. (2016) · American Mineralogist · doi:10.2138/am-2016-5516 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
An analytical model of crater count equilibrium
Hirabayashi, M., Minton, D. A., & Fassett, C. I. (2016) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.12.032 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Toward a myth-free geodynamic history of Earth and its neighbors
Hamilton, W. B. (2019) · Earth-Science Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.102905 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
High-precision U-Pb zircon dating identifies a major magmatic event on the Moon at 4.338 Ga
Barboni, M., Szymanowski, D., Schoene, B., Dauphas, N., Zhang, Z. J., Chen, X., & McKeegan, K. D. (2024) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.adn9871 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
González-Jiménez, J. M., Marchesi, C., Griffin, W. L., Gervilla, F., Belousova, E. A., Garrido, C. J., Romero, R., Talavera, C., Leisen, M., O'Reilly, S. Y., et al. (2017) · Ore Geology Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.02.012 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Delayed and variable late Archaean atmospheric oxidation due to high collision rates on Earth
Marchi, S., Drabon, N., Schulz, T., Schaefer, L., David Nesvorný, A., Bottke, W. F., Koeberl, C., & Lyons, T. W. (2021) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-021-00835-9 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationAsteroid bombardment and the core of Theia as possible sources for the Earth's late veneer component
Sleep, N. H. (2016) · Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems · doi:10.1002/2016gc006305 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Sawada, H., Isozaki, Y., Sakata, S., Hirata, T., & Maruyama, S. (2016) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2016.11.010 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Dynamical Constraints on Mercury’s Collisional Origin
Clement, M. S., Kaib, N. A., & Chambers, J. E. (2019) · The Astronomical Journal · doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab164f · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Formation of anorthosite on the Moon through magma ocean fractional crystallization
Arai, T., & Maruyama, S. (2016) · Geoscience Frontiers · doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2016.11.007 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Earth and Terrestrial Planet Formation
Jacobson, S. A., & Walsh, K. J. (2015) · Geophysical monograph · doi:10.1002/9781118860359.ch3 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Widespread impact-generated porosity in early planetary crusts
Wiggins, S. E., Johnson, B. C., Collins, G. S., Melosh, H. J., & Marchi, S. (2022) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32445-3 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Self-citationLarge Impacts onto the Early Earth: Planetary Sterilization and Iron Delivery
Citron, R., & Stewart, S. T. (2022) · The Planetary Science Journal · doi:10.3847/psj/ac66e8 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
- Authors
- Marchi, S., Bottke, W. F., Elkins-Tanton, L. T., Bierhaus, M., Wuennemann, K., Morbidelli, A., & Kring, D. A.
- Affiliations
- Southwest Research Institute (US)
- Carnegie Institution for Science (US)
- Museum für Naturkunde (DE)
- Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (FR)
- Universities Space Research Association (US)
- Corresponding author
- Marchi, S.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2014-07
- Volume
- 511
- Issue
- 7511
- Pages
- 578-582
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W1984569582
- Cited by
- 277
- References
- 77
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 13.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Keywords
- Hadean Earth, asteroid impact, impact mixing, impact melt, lunar impact history, crustal growth, terrestrial impact craters
- MeSH terms
- Computer Simulation, Hot Temperature, Models, Theoretical, Earth, Planet, Minor Planets, History, Ancient
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review