There are likely many more craters to be found in Western Australia, experts say.
An aerial drone photograph from Wolfe Creek crater in Western Australia. Matt Deakin/Getty Images
By Jessica Poitevien
Miners in Western Australia have struck gold in a new way after discovering a massive meteorite crater that geologists estimate to be 100 million years old. Located near the Goldfields mining town of Ora Banda, this three-mile crater is now one of the largest in the world.
How could such a massive crater go undiscovered for so long? Well, unlike other meteorite craters in Australia, including the famous Wolfe Creek Crater, this one is not visible from the surface. The yet-to-be-named crater was found using electromagnetic surveys, which map the rocks below the surface.
“This discovery was made in an area where the landscape is very flat. You wouldn’t know it was there because the crater has been filled in over geological time,” Perth-based geologist and geophysicist Dr. Jason Meyers told Matador Network. “There’s probably quite a few more out there.” Read more >>