Australia’s Meteorite Impacts

By Jo Hannah Asetre, Macquarie University, Sydney.

Australia is home to some of the oldest surviving crustal rocks on Earth. The ancient landscape serves as a record of the rich history of our planet, particularly the bolide impacts it has survived in the past. The land down under is fortunate to have preserved 27 out of the 190 recognised impact craters worldwide (Bevan and McNamara, 2009). These mementos were forged by the might and power of rocky visitors from the vast cosmos, serving as a constant reminder of both the fragility and resilience of our planet. This poster shows the top ten largest impact structures exposed on Australia’s terrestrial surface. As shown by the terrain maps, these sites are characterised by varying degrees of preservation due to weathering and erosion. The impact structures of Australia are unique sculpted landscapes– boasting of striking ridges and valleys that through time, have evolved into places of various cultural, ecological, and economic significances.