[meteorite-list] Scientists Discover Large Impact Crater in Eastern Jordan

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Aug 8 12:08:19 2006
Message-ID: <200608081554.IAA29443_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093122871

Scientists discover region's largest meteor crater
Jordan Times
August 8, 2006

AMMAN - A group of local and international scientists have discovered a
huge crater in the eastern part of the country caused by a gigantic
meteorite, thought to be the largest such find in the region.

The impact site in Jabal Waqf es Swwan, some 200 kilometres east of the
Karak Governorate close to the Saudi border, was discovered by
University of Jordan geology professors Elias Salameh and Hani Khoury,
along with German professor Werner Schneider.

According to Salameh, the meteorite struck the area around 7,500-10,000
years ago with an impact diameter of about 100 metres.

"The damage force of such an impact might equal 5,000 times that of the
Hiroshima atomic bomb," according to Salameh, adding that it would have
destroyed everything within a radius of hundreds of kilometres.

The crater consists of two concentric circles. The diameter of the outer
ring measures around 5.5km, with the inner ring measuring 2.7km.

The impact size and velocity, according to Salameh, would have raised
the atmospheric temperature within a radius of 10 kilometres to more
than one thousand degrees centigrade, spewing millions of tonnes of
rocks, vapour, dust and smoke into the atmosphere.

This in turn would have formed an atmospheric cloud so large as to
plunge the entire earth into darkness, with continuous rain for months
or even years, resulting in the widespread flooding of low lands,
according to a statement by the University of Jordan.

The discovery is thought to be the largest such meteorite crater in the
region.

Future research at the site, which has been well-preserved due to the
area's dry climate, will be supported by the University of Jordan and
the Higher Council for Science and Technology.

Highlighting the importance of the find, Salameh said the site is
expected to explain many geologic and historic features and events such
as calcinated rocks, molten rock, highly jointed and cracked rocks.

There are around 130 crater structures of impact origin in the world.
One of the oldest and largest clearly visible sites is the Vredefort
Dome, located in South Africa.

The original crater, now eroded, was probably 250 to 300 kilometres in
diameter, larger than the Sudbury impact structure in Canada, about
200km in diameter.

At two billion years old, Vredefort is far older than the Chixculub
structure in Mexico which, with an age of 65 million years, is the site
of the impact that is said to have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

All relevant institutions in Jordan have been informed about the
discovery, including the Badia Project, the Department of Lands and
Survey and the Natural Resources Authority, in order to take the
necessary steps to conserve the site.

---------------------------------------------------------------

http://english.people.com.cn/200608/08/eng20060808_291072.html

Huge meteorite crater discovered in eastern Jordan
People's Daily Online (China)
August 8, 2006

A huge crater caused by a gigantic meteorite has been discovered
recently in the eastern part of Jordan, the largest
meteorite crater in the region, the Jordan Times reported on Tuesday.

The impact site in Jabal Waqf es Swwan, some 200 km east of the Karak
governorate in eastern Jordan, was discovered by geology professors of
University of Jordan Elias Salameh and Hani Khoury, along with German
professor Werner Schneider.

A meteorite struck the area around 7,500-10,000 years ago with an impact
diameter of about 100 meters, the report said.

"The damage force of such an impact might equal 5,000 times that of the
Hiroshima atomic bomb," Salameh said, adding that it would have
destroyed everything within a radius of hundreds of kilometers.

The crater consists of two concentric circles. The diameter of the outer
ring measures around 5.5 km, with the inner ring measuring 2.7 km.

The impact size and velocity, according to Salameh, would have raised
the atmospheric temperature within a radius of 10 kilometers to more
than 1,000 degrees centigrade, spewing millions of tons of rocks, vapor,
dust and smoke into the atmosphere.

The discovery is thought to be the largest such meteorite crater in the
region, a statement issued by the University of Jordan said.

Salameh said that the site is expected to explain many geologic and
historic features and events such as calcinated rocks, molten rock,
highly jointed and cracked rocks.

There are around 130 crater structures of impact origin in the world.
One of the oldest and largest clearly visible sites is the Vredefort
Dome, probably 250 to 300 kilometers in diameter, located in
South Africa.

Source: Xinhua
Received on Tue 08 Aug 2006 11:54:58 AM PDT