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Apex Basalt, Australia

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

The Apex Basalt is a ca. 3.46-Ga-old formation comprising tholeiitic pillow basalts, komatiitic basalts, and komatiites intercalated with thin chert layers. It is located near Marble Bar in the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia. Microfossils, morphological biomarkers, and filamentous carbon structures in the lower chert beds have been interpreted as fossil prokaryotes (mainly cyanobacteria but also thermophiles) and are claimed to represent the oldest fossil record of life on Earth. For this reason, outcrops of this formation are considered one of the most important astrobiological sites on Earth. However, for almost 20 years, many authors question this interpretation: considering that the Apex basalt “microfossils” are abiotic artifacts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maison des Géosciences, LGCA, Université J. Fourier, St-Martin d’Hères, France

    Nicholas Arndt

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  1. Nicholas Arndt
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Correspondence to Nicholas Arndt .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    William M. Irvine

  3. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  6. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Arndt, N. (2021). Apex Basalt, Australia. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_87-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_87-4

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Apex Basalt, Australia
    Published:
    24 February 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_87-4

  2. Original

    Apex Basalt, Australia
    Published:
    30 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_87-3

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