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Scientists find major asteroid impact zone in central Australia
CANBERRA, Feb 15, 2013 (Xinhua via COMTEX) --
One of the most extensive
asteroid impact zones on earth about 300 million years ago has
been found in central Australia, a latest research from the
Australian National University (ANU) said on Friday.
Located in northeast South Australia, the East Warburton Basin
contains evidence of a 30,000-square kilometer shock-metamorphosed
terrain thought to have been caused by an asteroid measuring 10 km
to 20 km in diameter that hit Earth more than 298 million years
ago.
"The size of the shock metamorphic terrain, larger than 200 km
in diameter, makes it the third-largest discovered to date on
Earth," said Dr. Andrew Glikson, a visiting fellow in the ANU
Planetary Science Institute and the ANU School of Archaeology and
Anthropology.
"It is also possible that the asteroid impact dates back to the
late Devonian period -- 360 million years ago -- a time of major
mass extinction."
He also said research into past asteroid impacts is essential
in the face of potential future asteroid encounters. This weekend,
an asteroid -- 2012 DA14 -- will pass just 34,000 km from Earth,
potentially interfering with communication satellites. If the
asteroid was to hit Earth, it would make a crater up to 1 km wide,
Dr. Glikson said.
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