1.8 km Crater In Gujarat's Kutch Was Created By Meteorite Impact 4000 Years Ago: Study
A group of scientists have claimed to uncover the mystery around a large crater in Gujarat's Kutch.
According to a new study the 1.8km wide depression, know as the Luna structure could have been formed from the impact of a meteorite that crashed a few thousand years ago.
Largest meteorite to hit earth?
The study found that the impact was triggered by an immense object primarily composed of iron, reshaping the landscape significantly.?
This, according to the new study could have been the result of the largest meteorite to have hit Earth in the last 50,000 years.
What is?luna structure
For a long time the Luna structure was thought to be linked to the ancient Harappan Civilisation. The nearest known Indus Valley site was about 200 kilometers away from Luna.
However, scientists are skeptical about whether this impact could have wiped out the Indus Valley civilisation.
What new study found?
The research conducted between 2019 to 2022 by experts from the Geological Survey of India, University of Kerala, Kachchh University, National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Physical Research Laboratory, and CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute looked into the ?minerals in the crater that scientists believe were brought in from outer space.
"The mineralogical and geochemical signatures points to an impact into a target, which is rich in clay with elevated calcium and silica content. Geochemical data suggests an iron or stony-iron meteorite as the potential projectile at Luna," the study published in Science Direct said.
They also conducted a radiocarbon dating of plant remains in the crater - and they dated as far back as 6,905 years.
"The silt layer containing plant remnants, underlying the strewn layer, yielded a radiocarbon age of 6905 years, making Luna the biggest crater to result from an iron bolide within the last 10,000 years," the study said.
"We can only confirm that the impact happened within the last 6,900 years. We need to conduct precise dating to determine the exact time of the impact," K S Sajinkumar, lead geologist from the team that made this discovery, told PTI in December.
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