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GSA Special Papers
Processes on the Early Earth
Author(s)
Geological Society of America

Volume
405
Copyright:
Geological Society of America
ISBN print:
9780813724058
Publication date:
January 01, 2006
Book Chapter
The record of impact processes on the early Earth: A review of the first 2.5 billion years
Author(s)
Christian Koeberl
Christian Koeberl
1
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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Published:January 01, 2006
Collisions and impact processes have been important throughout the history of the solar system, including that of the Earth. Small bodies in the early solar system, the planetesimals, grew through collisions, ultimately forming the planets. The Earth started growing ca. 4.56 Ga in this way. Its early history was dominated by violent impacts and collisions, of which we only have circumstantial evidence. The Earth was still growing and had reached ∼70%–80% of its present mass when at ca. 4.5 Ga a Mars-sized protoplanet collided with Earth, leading to the formation of the moon—at least according to the currently most popular...
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