The Mountain Passage, The Earth Continents, North American, Geological Wonders: Meteor Impact Craters Index Page. A Wayƒarer′s Story & Photo Gallery

The Journal

The Wayƒarers

The Selƒ

The Journey

The Burden

The Mountain

The Ancients
The Earth

Geochronology
Continents

       Africa
       Antarctica
       Asia
       Europe
       North America

Geographical
Geological

           Arches
           Canyons
           Craters
           Caves
           Deserts
           Forests
           Hot Springs
           Mountains
           Parks
           Rock Spires
           Viewpoints
           Volcanoes
           Waterways

Oceania
South America

Oceans

   The Life
   The Modern Man
   The Nonpareils
   The Steps
   The Way

The Appendix

THE EARTH GALLERY

The Continents

The North American Geological Wonders

Impact Crater

An impact crater is a depression in the surface of a solid celestial body which has been formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters typically have a raised rim with one or more floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain. Impact craters are typically circular, though they can be elliptical in shape or even irregular due to events such as landslides. Impact craters range in size from microscopic craters seen on lunar rocks returned by the Apollo Program, to simple bowl-shaped depressions and vast, complex, multi-ringed impact basins. Meteor Crater, (also known as Barrington Crater located near Winslow, Arizona) is a well-known example of a small impact crater on Earth.

On celestial bodies that experience active surface geological processes, such as Earth, Venus, Europa, Io, Titan, and Triton, visible impact craters are less common because they often over time become eroded, buried or transformed by tetonic and/or volcanic forces.

On such celestial bodies that experience such active processes which have destroyed much of the original crater topography, the terms impact structure or astrobleme, which is a word from the Greek meaning star-wound, are more commonly used.

History

As understood from many of the celestial objects within the solar system, the wise men of this earth have determined that there was a period of intense bombardment in the inner solar system about 3.9 billion years ago. From that time, the number of craters produced on Earth has been considerably lower, but still large enough to be noticeable nonetheless.

Currently, on an average, Earth experiences one to three impacts large enough to create a 12 mile crater every one million year. This rate indicates that there should be far more relatively young craters on this planet than have been discovered so far. Thus, the lack of these young craters that are visible could indicate many have impacted the oceans and few of these undersea craters have been discovered due to the difficulty of surveying the sea floor, as well as the subduction of the ocean floor into interior of the Earth by plate tectonics.

Current Count

Although Earth's active surface processes quickly destroy the impact record, world wide, there are about 190 terrestrial impact craters have been identified.

These range in diameter from thirty to forty feet (10 meters) up to about 190 miles (300 km), and they range in age from recent times (e.g. the Sikhote-Alin craters in Russia whose creation was witnessed in 1947) to more than two billion years, though most are less than 500 million years old because geological processes tend to obliterate older craters. They are also selectively found in the stable interior regions of continents.

There are two classifications of impact structures, those that have been confirmed to be produced by a meteor impact and those considered to be unconfirmed. This list exists due to the stringent requirements regarding evidence collected. Such newly discovered craters or those with difficulty collecting evidence generally are known for some time before becoming listed. However, entries on the unconfirmed list could still have an impact origin disproven.

(m2cont-nam-geol-cr-az-barrignton-crater) The Barrington Crater ¹

The Meteor Impact Crater Index

North America

Canada [CAN]

Alberta

Eagle Butte crater, (49.700, -110.500) Diameter: 8 miles, Exposed: No

Steen River crater, (59.500, -117.633333) Diameter: 16 miles, Exposed: No

Whitecourt crater, (coordinate) Diameter: 118 feet, Exposed: Yes

Manitoba

Saint Martin crater, (51.783333, -98.533333) Diameter: 25 miles, Exposed: No

West Hawk crater, (49.766667, -95.183333) Diameter: 1.5 mile, Exposed: No

Newfoundland & Labrador

Mistastin crater, (49.766667, -95.183333) Diameter: 9.9 miles, Exposed: Yes

Northwest Territories

Nicholson crater, (62.666667, -102.683333) Diameter: 7.8 mile, Exposed: No

Pilot crater, (60.283333, -111.000) Diameter: 3.7 miles, Exposed: Yes

Tunnunik crater, (72.466667, -113.933333) Diameter: 16 miles, Exposed: Yes

Nova Scotia

Montagnais crater, (42.883333, -64.216667) Diameter: 28 miles, Exposed: No

Nunavut

Haughton crater, (75.383333, -89.666667) Diameter: 14 miles, Exposed: Yes

Ontario

Brent crater, (46.072778, -78.477222) Diameter: 2.4 miles, Exposed: No

Holleford crater, (44.4578, -76.6333) Diameter: 1.46 mile, Exposed: No

Slate Island crater, (48.65, -87.00) Diameter: 7.5 miles, Exposed: No

Sudbury crater, (46.600, -81.183333) Diameter: 81 mles, Exposed: Yes

Wanapitei crater, (46.750, -80.750) Diameter: 5.2 miles, Exposed: Yes, lake

Quebec

Charlevoix crater, (47.533333, -70.300) Diam.: 34 miles, Exposed: Yes

Couture crater, (60.200, -75.466667) Diameter: 8.1 miles, Exposed: Yes

Île Rouleau crater, (50.683333, -73.883333) Diam.: 2.5 miles, Exposed: Partly

La Moinerie crater, (57.427314, -66.594171) Diam.: 5 miles, Exposed: Yes, lake

Lac à l′Eau Claire East, (coordinate) Diam.: 16 miles, Exposed: Yes, lake

Lac à l′Eau Claire West, (56.213818, -74.520230) Diam.: 22 miles, Exposed: Yes

Manicouagan, (51.397858, -68.702155) Diameter: 45 miles Exposed: Yes, lake

Pingualuit, (61.277164, -73.665397) Diameter: 2.14 miles, Exposed: Yes, lake

Presqu′île, (49.7043479, -74.822784) Diameter: 15 miles, Exposed: Yes

Saskatchewan

Carswell impact, (58.440556, -109.506667) Diameter: 24 miles, Exposed: Yes

Deep Bay, (56.40947, -102.954864) Diameter: 8 mile, Exposed: No, lake

Elbow, (50.983333, -106.716667) Diameter: 5 miles, Exposed: No

Gow, (56.451389, -104.468056) Diameter: 3 miles, Exposed: Yes, lake

Maple Creek, (49.800, -109.100) Diameter: 3.7 miles, Exposed: No

Viewfield, (49.583333, -103.066667) Diameter: 1.6 miles, Exposed: No

United States [USA]

Alabama

Wetumpka crater, (32.516667, -86.166667) Diameter: 4.7 miles, Exposed: Yes

Alaska

Avak Impact Crater, (71.25 °, 156.50°) Diameter: 7.5 miles, Exposed: No

Arizona

Meteor Crater, (35.033098, -111.021673) Diameter: 0.737 miles, Exposed: Yes

Also known as Barringer Crater

National Parks and Monuments

Arkansas

California

National Parks and Monuments

Devils Postpile National Monument

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Craters

Beaverhead crater, (44.600, -113.000) Diameter: 37 miles, Exposed: Yes

Illinois

Craters

Des Plaines crater, (42.05, -87.866667) Diameter: 5.0 miles, Exposed: No

Glasford crater, (40.6, -89.783333) Diameter: 2.5 miles, Exposed: No

Indiana

Craters

Kentland crater, (40.7500, -87.4000) Diameter: 8.1 miles, Exposed: Yes

Iowa

Craters

Manson crater, (42.583333, -94.55) Diameter: 22 miles, Exposed: No

Kansas

Craters

Haviland crater, (37.583333, -99.166667) Diameter: 50 feet, Exposed: Yes

Kentucky

Craters

Middlesboro crater, (36.616667, -83.733333) Diameter: 3.7 miles Exposed: Yes

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Craters

Calvin crater, (41.830, -85.950) Diameter: 5.3 miles Exposed: No

Waterfalls

Tahquamenon Falls State Park (46.6049145, -85.2016826)

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Canyons

Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail (36.535918, -93.2475145)

Craters

Crooked Creek crater, (37.833333, -91.383333) Dia.: 4.3 miles, Exposed: Yes

Decaturville crater, (37.900, -92.716667) Diameter: 3.7 miles, Exposed: Yes

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

Craters

Santa Fe crater, (35.728117, -105.864211) Diameter: 3.7-8.1 miles Exposed: No

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Craters

Newporte crater, (48.966667, -101.966667) Diameter: 2 miles Exposed: No

Red Wing crater, (47.600, -103.550) Diameter: 5.6 miles, Exposed: No

Ohio

Craters

Serpent Mound crater, (39.033333, -83.400) Diameter: 5 miles Exposed: Yes

Oklahoma

Craters

Ames Crater, 36.284444, -98.193889, Diameter: 10 miles, Exposed: No

Oregon

Waterfalls

Beaver Falls (46.104829387759104, -123.12497320011681)

Multnomah Falls (45.57595, -122.11536)

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Craters

Flynn Creek crater, (36.283333, -85.666667) Diameter: 2.4 miles Exposed: Yes

Wells Creek crater, (36.377778, -87.658333) Diameter: 7.5 miles Exposed: Yes

Texas

Craters

Odessa Meteor Crater (31.757145, -102.478726) Diameter: 550 ft, Exposed: Yes

Marquez Crater (31.283333, -96.300) Diameter: 8 miles, Exposed: No

Sierra Madera Crater (30.59325, -102.91051) Diameter: 8 miles, Exposed: Yes

Utah

Craters

Upheaval Dome, (38.436944, -109.929167) Diameter: 6.2 miles Exposed: Yes

Formations

Devils Slide, (41.0635179, -111.5477087)

Viewpoint Trails

Moon Overlook (38.4522588, -110.8379789)

Vermont

Virginia

Craters

Chesapeake Bay Crater (37.283333, -76.016667) Diameter: 53 miles, Exposed: No

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Craters

Rock Elm crater, (44.716667, -92.233333) Diameter: 3.7 miles Exposed: No

Glover Bluff crater (43.116667, -106.75) Diameter: -, Exposed: No

Wyoming

Craters

Cloud Creek crater, (43.116667, -106.7500) Diameter: 4.3 miles. Exposed: No

Devils Tower, (44.590432, -104.719488)

Mexico [MEX]

Aguascalientes

Baja California

Baja California Sur

Campeche

Chiapas

Chihuahua

Coahuila

Colima

DF, Mexico City

Durango

Guanajuanto

Guerrero

Hidalgo

Jalisco

Mêxico, estado de

Michoacán

Morelos

Nayarit

Nuevo Leon

Oaxaca

Puebla

Queretaro

Quintana Roo

San Luis Potosi

Sinaloa

Sonora

Tabasco

Tamaulipas

Tlaxcala

Veracruz

Yucatan

Chicxulub crater, (21.400, -89.516667) Diameter: 12 miles, Exposed: No

Zacatecas

Caribbean

Puerto Rico

The World Geological Wonders List

World of Wonder

Here, in this section, I have compiled a short list of some of the wonders in the world that I have learned about and of which I would like to visit some day.

My "Hope to See" List

Mirado de San Miguel, Colca Canyon, Peru (-15.6110522, -71.9689763)

Crystal Cave, Mexico (27.850833, -105.496389) Currently Closed

Great Blue Hole, Belize (17.315532, -87.534775)

Giants Causeway, Ireland (55.233024, -6.516176)

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (20.913093, 107.177355)

Komodo Island, Indonesia (-8.569404, 119.501490)

Pulpit Rock, Norway (58.986610, 6.189136)

Travertine Deposits, Pamukkale, Turkey (37.925925, 29.125192)

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (-20.330147, -67.047031)


^¹	By Grahampurse - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55504355

To go back to the Quest Level Page, click on down arrow.

Thank you for visiting The Wayƒarers Journal.

See Ya above the Treeline!

This Page Last Updated: 31 January 2025

To continue to the next Episode Level page, Click here

The Wayƒarers Journal © ::: Come Join the Journey ™

by Thom Buras

Come Join the Journey ™