Impacts

Meteor Crater, Arizona About 1.2 km in diameter and 200 meters deep. Formed by an impact of iron-nickel meteorite of about 50 meters in diameter about 50,000 years ago. The meteorite itself broke up and some is scattered in fragments in the surrounding and rest in rock in the crater. Meteor Crater (also called Barringer Crater) is one of about 150 craters known on Earth and it is about the best preserved. This is because it is recent and it has always been in a semi-arid region with low erosion. The crater is privately owned. Nowadays there is no public access to the crater floor. There is no easy path down, lots of rattlesnakes, and insurance won't cover hikers.

Meteor Crater: Detail