Arizona Meteorite Crater Mystery Solved

AP via Yahoo ^ | 3/9/05

[Chaguito]

Sure that's not Amboy Crater in CA?

[SuziQ]

We took our two younger kids out to Arizona in late May of 2000. Meteor Crater was a favorite trip; our younger son was 9 at the time and really into meteorites, space, etc. Our kids were the only youngsters in the group, and the Guide was particularly nice to our son, letting him be his 'helper' for the tour. He even let our son answer a couple of the other folks' questions!

It truly is an impressive sight.

[G32]

Near Winslow, AZ I believe.

[DannyTN]

"Geochronological indicators."

Which ones?

[Junior]

A "Craterism" ping.

[SpaceBar]

Which ones?

The ones appropriate for dating terrestrial astroblemes of course.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Map Quest "Meteor Crater, AZ"

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=&city=meteor+Crater+&state=az&zipcode=

[Cincinatus]

Uh, that's not Meteor crater... it's a cinder cone (volcanic). Don't know where. From a distance, Meteor crater has a much lower, more subtle topographic profile.

[Seeking the truth]

The amazing thing is that the meteorite was only 150 feet long!

Pajama Patrol Badges & Pins!

[Atlas Sneezed]

I think it one of the natural wonders, a geological "must see". Definitely worth a half day side trip when seeing the Grand Canyon.

[ThinkPlease]

Look it up. You know what Google is.

[newgeezer]

What makes them think it was 50,000 years ago?

It's a matter of faith.

Good luck getting them to admit it, though.

[Hatteras]

The site I pulled the pic from identifies it as Meteor Crater in Arizona. I've never been there so I'm just taking him at his word. It does look a little tall and not as wide in that shot compared to the others though...

[Cincinatus]

Here's a picture of the real Meteor crater at a distance...

[enraged]

My thoughts too, if it was mostly vaporized (in cloud form) then why is there a big 'ol hole in the ground? and the article did not really explain what happened to the iron either, seems like they would have found more.....

[DannyTN]

"Look it up. You know what Google is. "

I already know what most of the "geochronical indicators" are. I want to know which ones they relied on in this case.

They never tell you in the popular press, they always leave that out.

[SpaceBar]

Another extremely interesting feature your son might get into is called Upheaval Dome in Arches National Park, Utah. It is a large circular anomaly that for a century was thought to be the surface expression of a salt diapir (a large blob of salt that migrates upward due to bouyancy). A few years ago grad student reexamined it and determined it to be a meteor impact feature. It is easy to get to, and their is a nearby topographic high so you can get a good view of the thing.

[ArGee]

What makes them think it was 50,000 years ago?

It was wearing a Timex. It didn't stop ticking.

Shalom.

[P8riot]

That's Amboy Crater. We used to ride dirtbikes out there back in the 60's and 70's. Had my first tangle with a rattlesnake within view of that crater.

[RobRoy]

>>The scientists said that at about 3 miles altitude, most of the meteorite was spread in a large cloud.<<

So it was a shotgun blast?