Scientists Explore a Gigantic Impact Site with Possible Global Consequences
In a groundbreaking study, scientists are now speculating the existence of what could be the largest crater in the world, nestled in southern New South Wales, Australia. The immense crater, believed to be approximately 520 kilometers in diameter, hints at a catastrophic asteroid impact event that could have triggered a devastating ice age, wiping out an astonishing 85% of Earth’s species.
Located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, this potential impact crater dwarfs the one left by the asteroid responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs. Situated near the town of Deniliquin, the crater remains hidden beneath layers of sediment deposited over millions of years.
A recent publication in the journal Tectonophysics has unveiled the staggering scale of this structure, estimated to reach up to 520 kilometers in diameter, setting a new benchmark in the field. To provide a perspective, the Chicxulub crater, widely associated with the extinction event that annihilated the dinosaurs, measures a mere 150 kilometers in width.
Lead author and adjunct professor at the University of New South Wales, Andrew Glikson, posits that the colossal asteroid responsible for this event likely struck Earth roughly 420 million years ago, accentuating the profound impact this discovery holds for the scientific community and beyond.
Furthermore, this monumental impact is theorized to have ushered in a new ice age, resulting in the catastrophic loss of up to 85% of the Earth’s species during that era.
Dr. Glikson emphasized, “It is enormous, that’s what struck me. If it’s true, it’s the largest impact structure not just in Australia but anywhere.”
Nevertheless, not all experts are entirely convinced that the structure beneath Deniliquin is unequivocally an asteroid crater. Louis Moresi from the Australian National University suggests that an alternate explanation could be the collision of two landmasses, resembling the formation of a mountain range.
While Moresi remains cautious, he acknowledged the compelling arguments put forth by the research team, stating, “They’ve yet to convince me [it’s a crater], but they did make a pretty good case. The other possibility is that it’s a big, curved structure, similar to how Switzerland looks like a big croissant as Italy crashes into the middle of Europe and creates that large, curved structure. If you left that for 500 million years, it would be very hard to distinguish it from the rim of a crater or a collision.”
