Scientists from Curtin University in Australia have proposed a new theory of how the continents of our planet were formed, in which they confirmed that this was caused by giant meteorites that struck the Earth about 3 billion years ago, about a billion and a half billion years after the creation of the Earth.

The researchers believe that this new theory, compared to previous theories, is the strongest scientifically, given the strong evidence presented by this study published in the journal Nature on August 10.

Evidence from Western Australia

The Earth is the only planet that consists of continents, and the prevailing theory before was that the formation of these continents was due to strong earthquakes that, over millions of years, led to the formation of the continents in the way they are today.

The new theory: the continents were formed by giant meteorites that struck the Earth 3 billion years ago (Getty Images)

Dr. Tim Johnson, from the Institute of Earth and Universe Sciences at Curtin University, said in the university's press release on August 11, 2022, that "the idea of ​​​​the formation of continents by giant meteorites was present years ago, but there was no scientific evidence to prove it, and we Today we have proven this theory."

Tim Johnson explained that they found this evidence in the Pilbara region, which is one of the most important areas in which the Earth's crust still preserves many of its peculiarities as it was in the past.

The action of the giant meteorites had a great impact on the formation of the continents, just as it was the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs millions of years later.


The researchers relied on analyzing small crystals of the mineral "zircon" found in rocks in the Pilbara region at great depths.

Consistent with the geological impact of giant meteorite strikes.

The Pilbara region is one of the largest Australian states in area, located in the northwest, and its population is small because it is a desert and dry region, but it is famous for the presence of minerals, especially iron.

The spokesman added that their research in the Australian Pilbara region will be circulated in the future to some regions of the world, to study more characteristics of the effects left by these giant meteorites, especially minerals.

The Pilbara region of Western Australia is a unique region (Pixabe)

combating climate change

The new discovery made by researcher Tim Johnson and his colleagues does not stop at the limits of the theory of the formation of continents. In the study, he talked about the role that these regions can play in combating climate change, such as the Pilbara region that was previously hit by giant meteorites;

Because these areas contain rare metals that are essential for clean energy uses.

Tim Johnson explained in a statement to Al Jazeera Net via e-mail, "These areas are the reservoir of new environmentally friendly technologies known as green technology, such as green hydrogen. These new technologies need rare metals, such as lithium or nickel, which are extracted from the ground and are found in abundance in Areas that were previously hit by meteorites such as the Pilbara region, and there is no alternative to these minerals for green development."