Odessa Meteor Crater
| Odessa Meteor Crater | |
|---|---|
 Meteor crater and museum | |
| Impact crater/structure | |
| Confidence | Confirmed[1] |
| Diameter | 550 ft (168 m) |
| Depth | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Age | 63,500 years |
| Exposed | Yes |
| Drilled | Yes |
| Bolidetype | Octahedrite(IAB) |
| Location | |
| Location | Ector County,West Texas |
| Coordinates | 31°45′22″N102°28′44″W/ 31.7560°N 102.4788°W[2] |
| Country | United States |
  Odessa Meteor Crater Odessa Meteor Crater in Texas | |
TheOdessa Meteor Crateris ameteoritecraterin the southwestern part ofEctor County,southwest of the city ofOdessaofWest Texas,United States.It is accessible approximately 3 mi (5 km) south ofInterstate 20at Exit 108 (Moss Road).[1]This is one of three impact crater sites found in Texas, the others being the older and much largerSierra Madera craterand theMarquez crater.
TheHandbook of Texas Onlinedescribes the Odessa meteor crater as the largest of several smaller craters in the immediate area that were formed by the impact of thousands ofoctahedrites(an iron metallic type) that fell in prehistoric times.[3]
The web site of theUniversity of Texas of the Permian Basin(UTPB, Center for Energy and Economic Diversification), identifies five craters at the Odessa site and shows a distribution map of the meteorite fragments recovered from the area.[4]The recoveries have generally come from an area to the north and northwest of the main crater site, with only a few found to the south. They indicate that the structure of the main crater, because it was one of the earliest to be recognized and studied, is now used to name similar impact sites on a worldwide basis. Over 1500 meteorites have been recovered from the surrounding area over the years, the largest of which weighed approximately 300 lb (136 kg), but excavations in the main crater confirm that there is no meteorite mass underground and probably never has been. The site has been designated as aNational Natural Landmarkby theNational Park Service,[5]and a small information area and nature trail has been set up on-site for a self-guided tour.
It is 550 ft (168 m) indiameterand the age is estimated to be around 63,500 years (Pleistoceneor younger).[6]The crater is exposed to the surface, and was originally about 100 ft (30 m) deep. Because of subsequent infilling by soil and debris, the crater is currently 15 ft (5 m) deep at its lowest point, which provides enough relief to be visible over the surrounding plains, but does not offer the dramatic relief found at the more famousMeteor Craterin Arizona.
The crater itself and the museum curator, Tom Rodman, were featured in the June 1, 2013 broadcast ofBob Phillips'ssyndicatedtelevision seriesTexas Country Reporter.[7]
See also[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^ab"Odessa".Earth Impact Database.Planetary and Space Science Centre University of New Brunswick Fredericton.Retrieved2016-12-10.
- ^"Feature Detail Report for: Odessa Meteor Crater".Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).USGS.November 30, 1979.RetrievedSeptember 22,2014.
- ^Smith, Julia Cauble."Meteor crater at Odessa".Handbook of Texas Online.Retrieved5 November2009.
- ^Anonymous."Meteor Impact Structures".Center for Energy & Economic Diversification, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.Retrieved5 November2009.
- ^"National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)".nps.gov.Retrieved2019-03-30.
Year designated: 1965
- ^Holliday, V.T., Kring, D.A., Mayer, J.H. and Goble, R.J. 2005. Age and effects of the Odessa meteorite impact, western Texas, USA. Geology 33(12):945-948.
- ^"Texas Country Reporter 2013 Episode Guide: Odessa Meteor Crater Museum".texascountryreporter. Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2009.RetrievedJune 5,2013.
External links[edit]
Media related toOdessa Meteor Craterat Wikimedia Commons
- Odessa Meteor Crater and Museum website
- UTPB Center for Energy and Economic Diversifications, Odessa Meteor Craters
- Mindat.org - Odessa Craters, Odessa, Ector Co., Texas, USA
- Article about the crater
- Photos of West Texas and the Llano EstacadoArchived2017-08-09 at theWayback Machine
- Video of the main crater site.
