Strelley Pool Chert and Early Life

One place that may help paleontologists answer their questions about very early life on Earth is the Strelley Pool Chert rock formation in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This picture is a composite of images acquired by the Landsat-7 satellite on May 19, 2000 (in the north), and June 23, 2001 (in the south). The Pilbara region sees hot temperatures and little rain, and its terrain is rugged, evidenced by the many creases and networks of hills meandering through the area. The Shaw River channel runs through the middle of the image. The Strelley Pool Chert rock formation appears near the bottom of the image, on the east side of the river.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17309