Back Vredefortkoepel Afrikaans فوهة فريديفورت Arabic Cráter de Vredefort AST Vredefort AVK Vredefort krateri Azerbaijani Cràter de Vredefort Catalan Vredefort Dome CEB Vredefort (kráter) Czech Vredefort-krateret Danish Vredefort-Krater German

Vredefort impact structure

Vredefort impact structure
Vredefort Dome
Vredefort Dome (centre), with the Vaal river running across it; seen from space with the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8, 27 June 2018
Impact crater/structure
ConfidenceConfirmed
Diameter170–300 km (110–190 mi) (estimated former crater diameter)
Age2023 Ma ± 4 Ma
Orosirian, Paleoproterozoic
ExposedYes
DrilledYes
Location
Coordinates27°0′0″S 27°30′0″E / 27.00000°S 27.50000°E / -27.00000; 27.50000
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceFree State
Vredefort impact structure is located in South Africa
Vredefort impact structure
Location of Vredefort impact structure
Official nameVredefort Dome
Includes
  1. Vredefort Dome core area
  2. The stromatolite/basal fault plane site
  3. The chocolate tablet breccia site
  4. The pseudotachylite (quarry) site
CriteriaNatural: (viii)
Reference1162
Inscription2005 (29th Session)
Area30,000 ha (120 sq mi)

The Vredefort impact structure is the largest verified impact structure on Earth.[1] The crater, which has since been eroded away, has been estimated at 170–300 kilometres (110–190 mi) across when it was formed.[2][3] The remaining structure, comprising the deformed underlying bedrock, is located in present-day Free State province of South Africa. It is named after the town of Vredefort, which is near its centre. The structure's central uplift is known as the Vredefort Dome. The impact structure was formed during the Paleoproterozoic Era, 2.023 billion (± 4 million) years ago. It is the second-oldest known impact structure on Earth, after Yarrabubba.

In 2005, the Vredefort Dome was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its geologic interest.

  1. ^ University of Rochester (26 September 2022). "The asteroid that formed Vredefort crater was bigger than previously believed". Science X. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022.
  2. ^ Huber, M. S.; Kovaleva, E.; Rae, A. S. P.; Tisato, N.; Gulick, S. P. S. (August 2023). "Can Archean Impact Structures Be Discovered? A Case Study From Earth's Largest, Most Deeply Eroded Impact Structure". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 128 (8). Bibcode:2023JGRE..12807721H. doi:10.1029/2022JE007721. ISSN 2169-9097.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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