We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Astronomy

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is the Barringer Crater?

Michael Anissimov
By
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 7,585
Share

Barringer Crater, otherwise known as Meteor Crater, is one of the best-preserved and largest impact craters on the planet. Located 43 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona, the Barringer Crater is about 1,200 m (4,000 ft) in diameter, 170 m (540 ft) deep, and has a rim that rises 45 m (150 ft) from the surrounding desert terrain. Within the crater is about 240 m (800 ft) of rubble that covers the crater floor.

Probably one of the most famous and well-visited craters in the world, the Barringer Crater was made about 50,000 years ago, during the Pleistocene. At the time, the terrain was much wetter and cooler than today, and would have been a grassland occupied by camels, woolly mammoths, and giant ground sloths. A nickel-iron meteorite about 50 meters (164 ft) across impacted the ground at 12.8 kilometers per second (28,600 mph). When it entered the atmosphere, the bolide is estimated to have had a mass of 300,000 tonnes, half of which was lost due to friction by the time it reached the surface. The meteorite hit the ground at an 80 degree angle, ejecting 175 million tonnes of rock and producing an explosion equivalent to about 2.5 megatons of TNT, or 150 times as intense as the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thousands of plants and animals in the vicinity would have been vaporized instantly.

Initially thought to have been the result of a volcanic steam explosion, the Barringer Crater is the first crater that was recognized as coming from a meteorite impact. In 1903, Daniel Morreau Barringer, a mining engineer and businessman, was the first to suggest the impact theory, which was considered scientifically dubious at the time. It was thought that meteorite impacts were extremely rare. Barringer attempted to dig up the nickel-iron meteorite that created the crater, but failed. The consensus that Barringer Crater was created by a meteorite did not emerge fully until the 1950s, as planetary science became more mature. Only in 1960 did Eugene Shoemaker, the great planetary scientist, find minerals in the crater that definitively proved it was caused by a meteorite impact. Since then, many other craters have been discovered around the world.

Share
All The Science is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Michael Anissimov
By Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov is a dedicated All The Science contributor and brings his expertise in paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism to his articles. An avid blogger, Michael is deeply passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. His professional experience includes work with the Methuselah Foundation, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Lifeboat Foundation, further showcasing his commitment to scientific advancement.
Discussion Comments
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov is a dedicated All The Science contributor and brings his expertise in paleontology, physics, biology...
Learn more
Share
https://www.allthescience.org/what-is-the-barringer-crater.htm
Copy this link
All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.