In short
One of the most impressive meteorite craters in South America is Monturaqui Crater. It was first described in scientific literature in 1966 (Sanchez, Cassidy) – then it got its name too.
43.3%
GPS coordinates
Location, address
Diameter
Depth
Age
Map of the site
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In detail
This crater was created some 660 000 years ago by a meteorite coming from the north-west. It is speculated that the Campo del Cielo craters in nearby Argentina appeared at this same time.
The site is located approximately 3,000 m above sea level. Thus the meteorite had to pass only through half of the total mass of the atmosphere if compared with meteorites, which fall into the sea.
Meteorite here hit a thin layer of volcanic rock – 3.2 million years (Pliocene) old ignimbrites. It penetrated it and smashed a granite under it as well. As the meteorite was falling askew, the crater is elongated in the northwest-southeast direction, the steepest edge (35 degrees steep) is in the south-east. Also, the rim of the crater in the south is 10 – 15 m higher than in the north.
In the vicinities of the crater and inside it have been found corroded pieces of iron, glassy impactites, Ni-Fe-Co-P spherules.
In the northern part of the crater is located a small, temporary lake, created by the rare rain in summer. This lake has left a layer of lime sediments.
References
- Sanchez, J., Cassidy, W. A., A previously undescribed meteorite crater in Chile. Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 71, pp. 4891-4895. 1966.
- Ugalde, H., Valenzuela, M., Milkereit, B. An integrated geophysical and geological study of the Monturaqui impact crater, Chile, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 42, Nr 12, 2153 – 2163 (2007).
Monturaqui Crater is included in the following article:
Linked articles
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This category includes outstanding impact craters – detectable scars on the surface of Earth left by a body coming from outer space. The category includes also meteorites – natural objects from outer space.
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