Wed 25th March @ 6:30 pm, Tim Winton Lecture theatre, Building 213, Level 1

Abstract:

Dr Erickson will talk about the discovery of the oldest asteroid strike on Earth, called Yarrabubba, which is located on the road to Meekatharra in Western Australia. The impact site was discovered nearly 20 years ago, however, the age of impact was not known until now. Using research techniques and equipment, the team were able to determine the age and impact of Yarrabubba – 2.229 billion years old, making it the oldest known asteroid to strike. Dr Erickson will also discuss the impact the asteroid could have had to cause the end of one of the Earth’s oldest ice ages.

Short bio:

Dr. Timmons Erickson is a Jacobs-JETS Research Scientist in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center. Prior to joining JSC, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas and a Research Associate within Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences. He completed his PhD at Curtin University, and received an MSc from the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez and a Bachelors from Oberlin College.