Anne Mcilory
Globe and Mail
November 26, 2008
University of Alberta researchers have discovered one of the youngest impact craters in the world. It was formed after a bit of asteroid fell to Earth 1,100 years ago and smashed into the west central part of what is now Alberta. This is “the youngest crater found on earth”. It was discovered in July 2007 when the residents of the area went looking for space rocks with metal detectors. They were able to find pieces of metallic rock close to the hole in the ground. These pieces were immediately sent for testing and it was “confirmed that they were meteorite fragments”. The crater is 36 meters wide and six meters deep. This crater is not nearly a large as the one in Mexico. Craters like this one are very rare because they can erode over time without ever being found. This area is now reserved as a provincial historical resource. Meteorites can be sold for very large prices and anyone trying to collect rocks from this area will be fined “up to $50 000 or one year in jail.” It seems interesting how there is still so much of our planet that is discovered. Because of this crater, scientists can try to discover more about our planet’s past and it creates a good historical site for the area. Sites like these can bring tourists and benefit the economy.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081126.wmeteor26/BNStory/International/
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