ABSTRACT Intense impacts of extraterrestrial objects melted the embryonic Earth, forming an inorganic body with a carbon-dioxide- and nitrogen-rich atmosphere1,2. Certain simple organic

molecules have been shown to form under conditions resembling meteorite impacts, although the link between these events and the development of more complex molecules remains unclear3.

Ordinary chondrites, the most common type of meteorite, contain solid carbon, iron and nickel—elements essential to the formation of organic chemicals4,5. Here we use shock experiments to

recreate the conditions surrounding the impact of chondritic meteorites into an early ocean. We used a propellant gun to create a high-velocity impact into a mixture of solid carbon, iron,

resulted in the synthesis of a greater abundance, variety and complexity of organic compounds. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content,

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OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS NUMEROUS CHONDRITIC IMPACTORS AND OXIDIZED MAGMA

OCEAN SET EARTH’S VOLATILE DEPLETION Article Open access 22 October 2021 DEGASSING OF CO2 TRIGGERS LARGE-SCALE LOSS OF HELIUM FROM MAGMA OCEANS Article Open access 22 June 2024 PHOSPHATE

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR LIFE ON OCEAN WORLDS Article Open access 25 April 2023 REFERENCES * Ohmoto, H., Watanabe, Y., Ikemi, H., Poulson, S. R. & Taylor, B. E. Sulphur isotope

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(2007). Article  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank T. Taniguchi, NIMS, for cleaning of 13C-amorphous carbon, E. Ohtani for critical reading of the manuscript, S.

Ohara, Tohoku University, for various discussions and J. Hill, NIMS, for assistance during preparation of the manuscript. Y.F. is a research fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of

Science (JSPS). This study was supported by JSPS grants (18204049, 19654083 and 18204051). AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Earth and Planetary Materials Science,

Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan Yoshihiro Furukawa & Takeshi Kakegawa * National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan

Toshimori Sekine & Hiromoto Nakazawa * Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan Masahiro Oba Authors * Yoshihiro

Furukawa View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Toshimori Sekine View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google

Scholar * Masahiro Oba View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Takeshi Kakegawa View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar * Hiromoto Nakazawa View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS H.N. proposed the impact synthesis hypothesis

and conducted this study. Y.F. and T.S. carried out the shock recovery experiments. Y.F. extracted organic compounds and analysed amines and amino acids using LC–MS. M.O. and Y.F. analysed

carboxylic acids using GC–MS. Y.F. and H.N. prepared an earlier manuscript. All authors discussed and prepared the final manuscript. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Yoshihiro

Furukawa. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, FIG. S1 Supplementary Information (PDF 290 kb) RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS

ARTICLE Furukawa, Y., Sekine, T., Oba, M. _et al._ Biomolecule formation by oceanic impacts on early Earth. _Nature Geosci_ 2, 62–66 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo383 Download citation

* Received: 16 June 2008 * Accepted: 11 November 2008 * Published: 07 December 2008 * Issue Date: January 2009 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo383 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the

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