Haughton impact crateris located onDevon Island,Nunavutin farNorthern Canada.It is about 23 km (14 mi) in diameter and was formed 31–32 million years ago during the EarlyOligocene.[1]The impacting object is estimated to have been approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) in diameter. Devon Island itself is composed ofPaleozoicshaleandsiltstoneoverlyinggneissicbedrock.When the crater formed, the shale and siltstone were peeled back to expose the basement; material from as deep as 1,700 m (5,600 ft) has been identified.
| Haughton crater | |
|---|---|
 Synthetic aperture radar image of Haughton crater | |
| Impact crater/structure | |
| Confidence | Confirmed |
| Diameter | 23 km (14 mi) |
| Age | 32-31 Ma Oligocene |
| Exposed | Yes |
| Drilled | No |
| Location | |
| Location | Devon Island |
| Coordinates | 75°23′N89°40′W/ 75.383°N 89.667°W |
| Country | Canada |
| State | Nunavut |
  Location of the crater in Canada | |
Description
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At 75° north latitude, it is one of the highest-latitudeimpact cratersknown. The temperature is below the freezing point of water for much of the year, and the limited vegetation is slow-growing, leading to very littleweathering.For this reason Haughton retains many geological features that lower-latitude craters lose toerosion.
Because Haughton's geology and climatology are as close to Mars-like as can be had on Earth, Haughton and its environs have been dubbed by scientists working there as "Mars on Earth". For example, the centre of the crater contains impactbreccia(ejected rock which has fallen back into the impact zone and partially re-welded) that is permeated withpermafrost,thus creating a close analogue to what may be expected at crater sites on a cold, wetMars.TheMars Instituteand theSETI Instituteoperate theHaughton–Mars Projectat this site, designed to test many of the challenges of life and work on Mars. The non-profitMars Societyalso operates theFlashline Mars Arctic Research Station(FMARS) at this site and conducts similar research.
References
edit- ^Erickson, Timmons M.; Kirkland, Christopher L.; Jourdan, Fred; Schmieder, Martin; Hartnady, Michael I. H.; Cox, Morgan A.; Timms, Nicholas E. (2021-07-01)."Resolving the age of the Haughton impact structure using coupled 40Ar/39Ar and U-Pb geochronology".Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.304:68–82.doi:10.1016/j.gca.2021.04.008.ISSN0016-7037.S2CID234836167.