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This artist's illustration shows a pair of asteroids passing by the modern-day Earth. New research shows that impact craters on the ancient Earth could have created "oxygen oases," where hydrothermal activity supercharged the growth of cyanobacteria and their stromatolite structures. It suggests that the Late Heavy Bombardment could have played a role in the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere, paving the way for complex life. Image Credit: ESA/P.Carril

Impact Craters May Have Helped Early Earth Build Oxygen-Rich Niches

Research on stromatolites found in South Korea’s Hapcheon impact crater suggests asteroid strikes may have created hydrothermal lakes that fostered oxygen-producing microbial blooms on early Earth.

Key Takeaways

Researchers found stromatolites in the Hapcheon impact crater in South Korea.
The study links post-impact hydrothermal lakes to local oxygen-producing microbial blooms.

DT Editorial Team·May 25, 2026·via universetoday.com