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World's Largest Asteroid Impacts Found In Central Australia

Posted by samzenpus on from the call-bruce-willis dept.

schwit1 writes Scientists doing geothermal research in Australia have discovered evidence of what they think is the largest known impact zone from an meteorite on Earth. The zone is thought to be about 250 miles across, and suggests the bolide split in two pieces each about 6 miles across before impact. The uncertainty is that the evidence for this impact is quite tentative: "The exact date of the impacts remains unclear. The surrounding rocks are 300 to 600 million years old, but evidence of the type left by other meteorite strikes is lacking. For example, a large meteorite strike 66 million years ago sent up a plume of ash which is found as a layer of sediment in rocks around the world. The plume is thought to have led to the extinction of a large proportion of the life on the planet, including many dinosaur species. However, a similar layer has not been found in sediments around 300 million years old, Dr Glikson said. 'It's a mystery – we can't find an extinction event that matches these collisions. I have a suspicion the impact could be older than 300 million years,' he said."

5 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Metric by labnet · · Score: 2, Informative

    Would you please stop freaking using imperial units. The rest of the world has moved on, and /. Should of all places be setting an example.

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    1. Re:Metric by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 4, Informative

      I thought the US military uses "klicks" (which is a kilometer) rather than miles.

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      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    2. Re:Metric by onkelonkel · · Score: 3, Informative

      Wrong. The biggest and most powerful military force in the world uses metric units (with a few exceptions). It's the civilians that cling to imperial units.

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      None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
  2. Re:The moon by Dunbal · · Score: 3, Informative

    Except, the moon has no atmosphere to burn up all the smaller meteors. Here on Earth anything that reaches the surface had to start out big. Since there are more small asteroids than big ones it's much less likely we will get a surface impact compared to the moon.

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    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  3. Re:Gulf of Mexico ? by dreamchaser · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm not sure where you got that one. The only credible theory related to it is the Chicxulub crater, which is on the Southern edge of the Gulf, near the Yucatan Peninsula. That's what's left by the impact that many believe killed most of the dinosaurs, as well as many other species. It's not even close to the size of the whole Gulf. What theories are you talking about?