| Prehistoric Scratchpad PhBP Po10BP |
Latest period of heavy cratering in the inner solar system, as determined from Lunar impacts. Possibly caused by a perturbation of the outer planets. Comets that held life's building blocks may have delivered them to Earth, thus seeding the planet at this time. The Earth's entire surface may have been obliterated during this period, offering an alternative theory to why no older rocks could be found before this time, than that the Earth was molten until the end of the Hadean, since the Earth should have cooled off long before then.
Late Heavy Bombardment Web Pages[]
Classification[]
- Archeaon Eon - Eon where the first preserved solid rocks have been found and microbial life first formed, prior to the oxygenation of the atmosphere. It is not known if plate tectonics were active at this time.
- Eoarcheaon Era - The first era of the Archean after the earliest rocks solidified and before the earliest life is known. The Late Heavy Bombardment during this period could have delivered the necessary components of life to Earth. Provisionally starts at 4 Billion Years ago.
Late Heavy Bombardment In the News[]
(3.8 BYA) Late Heavy Bombardment - New evidence that comets deposited building blocks for life.