List of Top 9 Largest Impact Craters on Earth: Ranked

Largest impact craters on Earth: When you think of a meteorite crater, you likely picture the perfect bowl-shaped holes that pepper the Moon's surface. On Earth, however, a planet constantly reshaped by wind, water, and geological activity, these "star wounds" are often hidden in plain sight. From vast, eroded rings in South Africa to a buried structure in Mexico that ended the age of dinosaurs, these colossal scars tell the story of our planet's violent cosmic past. 

Scientists study these largest impact craters to understand how collisions have influenced everything from global climate to the evolution of life itself.

List of the 9 Largest Impact Meteorite Craters on Earth

Below is a table listing the largest known impact structures on Earth, ranked by their estimated original diameter.

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1. Vredefort Dome

Vredefort Crater,  Credit - The Sudantimes

Located southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, the Vredefort Dome is the world's largest and one of the oldest known impact structures. While the original crater has long since eroded, the remaining central dome is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offering a rare look at the deep geological profile of an ancient impact structure.

2. Chicxulub Crater

Chicxulub Crater, Credit - Vivek Srinivasan via Medium

Buried beneath Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, the Chicxulub crater is perhaps the most famous of all. Scientists and researchers agree that this huge crater is the "smoking gun" for the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs. The asteroid, which was about 10 kilometers wide, hit Earth and caused a lot of damage and a change in the climate around the world.

3. Sudbury Basin

Sadbury Basin,  Credit - alchetron.com 

The Sudbury Basin is a deeply eroded, oval-shaped geological structure in Ontario, Canada. This old crater, which formed almost 2 billion years ago, shows how strong impacts can be. The huge crash brought valuable mineral ores to the surface, making the area a world center for mining.

4. Popigai Crater

Landsat image of Popigai crater, Credit - Wikipedia

This meteorite crater in northern Siberia, Russia, is one of the best-preserved craters on Earth. An asteroid hit the ground over 35 million years ago and turned graphite into trillions of carats of "impact diamonds." This made the site one of a kind and very valuable.

5. Manicouagan Crater

Manicouagan Crater,  Credit - nasa.gov

The Manicouagan crater is a well-known landmark in Quebec, Canada. Its striking, ring-shaped reservoir can be seen from space. This crater was made by an asteroid 215 million years ago. It shows how both natural processes and human engineering can change the shape of a planetary scar. For example, a hydroelectric dam made the lake bigger.

6. Acraman Crater

Landsat image of Lake Acraman,  Credit - NASA World Wind

The Acraman crater is a very old impact structure that has been eroded a lot. It is in South Australia. This event happened about 580 million years ago, and scientists think that the impact it had on Earth's early ecosystems caused a big change in the way life on Earth worked, which was a time of great biological turnover.

7. Morokweng Crater

Morokweng crater Credit - postmasburg.co 

Scientists found the Morokweng crater in South Africa's Kalahari Desert in the late 1990s using magnetic and gravitational surveys. Scientists have found a piece of the original asteroid that caused the impact in this very deep crater. They found it while drilling into the core.

8. Kara Crater

Kara-Kul Structure, Tajikistan Credit - earthobservatory.nasa.gov

The Kara crater in Russia's Nenetsia region has been worn down a lot, but its remains still give us crucial data. The part of the meteor crater that is visible is about 65 km wide. But the original structure was much bigger. This makes it a great place to learn about ancient impact craters that are buried deep.

9. Beaverhead Crater

Barringer Meteor Crater,  Credit - Topozone

The Beaverhead impact structure is one of the largest in North America. It includes parts of Idaho and Montana in the US. The original crater shape was made about 600 million years ago, but geological activity has completely destroyed it. However, the presence of shatter cones, a type of rock deformation that only happens during impacts, proves that it still exists.

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Many of the largest impact craters on Earth are no longer visible, but their scars are a map of our planet's past. They are a powerful reminder of the cosmic forces that have destroyed and made things, which have led to the world we know today, and taught us important lessons for the future.

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