Vredefort crater
Sign in to savelargest verified impact crater on earth, dating from the Paleoproterozoic Era
Key facts
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Diameter
- 170–300 km (110–190 mi) (estimated former crater diameter)
- Age
- 2023 Ma Pha. Proterozoic Archean Had. ± 4 Ma, Orosirian , Paleoproterozoic
- Exposed
- Yes
- Drilled
- Yes
- Country
- South Africa
- Province
- Free State
- Official name
- Vredefort Dome
- Includes
- Vredefort Dome core area The stromatolite /basal fault plane site The chocolate tablet breccia site The pseudotachylite (quarry) site
- Criteria
- Natural: (viii)
- Inscription
- 2005 (29th Session )
- Area
- 30,000 ha (120 sq mi)
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
The Vredefort impact structure is one of the largest impact structures on Earth. The crater, which has since been worn away, has been estimated at 170–300 kilometres (110–190 mi) across when it was formed, the latter estimate suggesting the initial crater was larger than Chicxulub crater, the largest mostly intact impact crater on Earth. The remaining structure, comprising the deformed underlying bedrock, is located in present-day Free State province of South Africa. It is named after the town of Vredefort, which is near its centre. The structure's central uplift is known as the Vredefort Dome, which is around 100–120 kilometres (62–75 mi) in diameter. The impact structure was formed during the Paleoproterozoic Era, 2.023 billion (± 4 million) years ago. It is among the oldest known impact structures on Earth, after Yarrabubba (2.23 billion years old) and possibly Miralga.
In 2005, the Vredefort Dome was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its geologic interest.