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On our planet there are many craters formed due to the bombardment of the Earth with space debris, most of which burns as it enters our atmosphere, but some of it collides with the Earth, leaving amazing craters.
There are 5 craters that are considered the largest in the world, and some of them date back to two billion years in South Africa, from which it is estimated that more than a third of the world’s gold has been extracted, and there is a crater in Mexico, which dates back 66 million years, coinciding with the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The most prominent 5 craters, which are considered the largest in the world, are as follows:
Barringer Crater in the United States
Barringer crater, often called “Meteor Crater”, is located near Winslow, Arizona, in the United States, and was the first meteor crater confirmed to have been caused by an impact from extraterrestrial bodies.
The diameter of the crater is regarding one kilometer, and it is regarding 50,000 years old, which makes it relatively “young”. We have known regarding the crater since the late 19th century, but there has been debate as to whether it was the result of an impact, or linked to the nearby volcanic province.
And it wasn’t until the 1960s when high-pressure forms of quartz were identified in rocks, to meteorite fragments found nearby, that scientists might definitively say it was a meteorite impact.
Chicxulub crater in Mexico
With a diameter of 180 kilometers, located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, it is the second largest impact crater on Earth, and it dates back to 66 million years – coinciding with the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The diameter of the object that hit the ground was estimated at 10 kilometers, and it was traveling at a speed of 20 kilometers per second. That’s regarding a 5-minute commute from Sydney to Los Angeles.
And it wasn’t just the dinosaurs that became extinct, as it is estimated that 75% of the plant and animal species on Earth became extinct as a result of this event.
Fredfort in South Africa
The crater can be a source of economic resources, and the impact can lead to the concentration of minerals present in the place before the formation of the impact crater, and this is the case in the Vredefort Structure in South Africa, where it is estimated that more than a third of the world’s gold has been extracted from it.
The Vredefort impact structure is the largest confirmed impact crater on Earth, regarding two billion years old. The original crater was thought to be up to 300 kilometers in diameter, but it has been largely eroded.
Tannoralla Crater in Australia
Australia has 30 impact craters, and these majestic geological structures are often considered sacred places by local Aboriginal communities.
Today, Tannurala has a diameter of 4.5 kilometers and is located 150 meters above the surrounding desert, but when it first formed 142 million years ago, it was probably closer to 24 kilometers in diameter and eroded over time.
Nordlinger Reis in Germany
The Nordlinger Riess crater, also known as the Riess crater, formed regarding 14 million years ago and has a diameter of regarding 24 km. The town of Nordlinger is located within the crater, just south of the center. From above you can see the edge of the crater.
The crater contains layers of rock and minerals that are better preserved than almost anywhere else on Earth. During impact, the graphite was subjected to very high pressures and temperatures. This pressure turned the graphite into millions of tiny diamonds that dotted the city’s buildings.
