SOUTH AFRICAN IMPACT CRATERS
You know how people speak about “when the stars fall from the sky”? believe it or not, it can and does happen – including in south africa. according to the earth impact database, south africa’s confirmed impact craters show that this is not as rare as you may think.
Craters are somewhat circular, bowl-shaped depressions that are a result of the impact of a meteorite, volcanic activity or an explosion. Impact craters are produced by the collision of a meteorite with Earth (or another planet or the moon).
TSWAING METEORITE CRATER, GAUTENG
The Tswaing Meteorite Crater is located in Soshanguve, about 40 km north of Pretoria. Here, you will also find the Tswaing Meteorite Crater Museum which claims to be the only meteorite crater museum on the African continent.
It is wor th noting that this crater, in Gauteng, is said to be similar in size to another crater in Arizona, US. Tswaing, also known as Soutpan (salt pan), is surrounded by what can be described as a ring of hills. Scientists say that these are the walls of impact that stand testament to the asteroid that hit this part of the Earth approximately 200,000 years ago, resulting in a crater that’s about 100 m deep and a kilometre in diameter.The area’s indigenous vegetation, along with its birdlife and natural beauty add to the allure of the place, and make it definitely worth seeing.
VREDEFORT CRATER, FREE STATE
The Vredefort Dome, located about 120 km south-west of Johannesburg in the Free State province, was added to the esteemed list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites almost 15 years ago. This was mainly for the invaluable geological insight it affords..
It is also believed to be the largest verified impact crater on our planet. It is named after the town of Vredefort, which is near its core. Apart from the area’s natural beauty and the warmth of the townspeople who are eager to direct tourists to the site, you can also take comfort in knowing that you are visiting a place that has truly stood the test of time.
Dating back 2,023 million years, it is believed to be the oldest astrobleme (an eroded remnant of a large crater made by the impact of a meteorite or comet) found so far on our planet. A lot of the crater has eroded, but with a radius of 190 km, it there’s still lots to explore. What I most enjoyed
There are four known impact craters in South Africa.
about this place was its vastness and stillness. It is a place you come to reconnect with yourself. Nature engulfs you, and it is a must for nature lovers.
MOROKWENG CRATER, NORTH WEST
The Morokweng Crater (or Morokweng Impact Structure) is a verified impact crater which lies buried beneath the Kalahari Desert. It is near the town of Morokweng in South Africa, but is also easily accessible from Botswana as it lies near the border between the two countries.
Research suggests that the crater was formed by an asteroid about five to 10 km in diameter, and the crater itself is about 70 km in diameter. It is also fascinating to note that it can be traced way back in the ages of the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary. Due to it not being exposed at the surface, researchers have turned to magnetic maps and gravimetric surveys to study it.
KALKKOP CRATER, EASTERN CAPE
The Kalkkop (“limestone head”) Crater can be found on a private farm about 50 km south-east of the town of Aberdeen in the Eastern Cape.
The meteorite impact is said to have occurred about 250,000 years ago, resulting in a crater that is almost 640 m in diameter and believed to have originally been a couple of hundred metres deep. What now remains is a weathered circulation ridge that can be seen from the surface.
On a personal level, impact craters taught me to respect nature as you never know the day its beauty or wrath can be released.Walking on such ground reminded me that there is so much more to what we see. I was also challenged to remember to look beyond this planet to consider the universe, possibly even a multiverse out there – and how truly blessed we are to be a part of it.