Which of the following statements best describes the iron catastrophe?
It marked the beginning of Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere some 2.5 billion to 2.3 billion years ago.
Incorrect AnswerIt is the explosive death of a star and often result in the star obtaining the brightness of 100 million Suns for a short time.
Incorrect AnswerIt occurs when the black hole distort the space around them and suck neighbouring matter into them including stars.
Incorrect AnswerIt is a geological event, where the earth’s temperature heated to the melting point of iron and leading to the formation of early core..
Correct AnswerExplanation:
Iron Catastrophe and Planetary differentiation: o When Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it was a uniform ball of hot rock. Radioactive decay and leftover heat from planetary formation (the collision, accretion, and compression of space rocks) caused the ball to get even hotter. Eventually, after about 500 million years, our young planet’s temperature heated to the melting point of iron — about 1,538° Celsius. This pivotal moment in Earth’s history is called the iron catastrophe. Hence option (d) is the correct answer. o The iron catastrophe allowed greater, more rapid movement of Earth’s molten, rocky material. Relatively buoyant material, such as silicates, water, and even air, stayed close to the planet’s exterior. These materials became the early mantle and crust. Droplets of iron, nickel, and other heavy metals gravitated to the centre of Earth, becoming the early core. This important process is called planetary differentiation.
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By: Parvesh Mehta