Scientists in China have confirmed the discovery of the largest known impact crater formed on Earth during the Holocene period, which began around 11,700 years ago.
The Jinlin impact crater, located in Deqing County, Guangdong Province, is the first confirmed impact crater in southern China and the most extensive found from this geological era. Measuring up to 900 meters (2,953 feet) wide, the bowl-shaped formation adds critical insight to the study of recent extraterrestrial collisions.
The crater, which formed when a small asteroid slammed into a granite hillside, far exceeds the size of previously recorded Holocene craters. Most such formations are under 300 meters (984 feet) across.
This structure, however, stretches roughly 900 meters (2,953 feet) in diameter and reaches a depth of about 90 meters (295 feet). The impact released energy is estimated to be equivalent to 600,000 tons of TNT, according to the China Academy of Engineering Physics.
Geological evidence of China impact crater points to extraterrestrial origin
Researcher Chen Ming, who led the investigation, said that field studies and lab analyses revealed signs of shock metamorphism in the crater’s rock—clear evidence that the structure was caused by a hypervelocity impact from an extraterrestrial object.
Chen, affiliated with the Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, noted that these microscopic deformation features in quartz can only occur under extreme pressures found during such collisions.
The impact crater lies within a mountainous area of northwest Guangdong, where granite has weathered under tropical conditions. Despite the region’s high rainfall and intense erosion, the crater is well preserved. Scientists believe the relatively intact state of the rim and interior suggests the crater is geologically young.
Shape, size, and erosion patterns of the crater
The structure’s orientation follows the natural slope of the mountain. It appears slightly elliptical, tilting southwest with a rim elevation difference of about 200 meters (656 feet). The southern rim features a V-shaped gap that allows rainwater to drain from the basin, and several deep gullies trace the inner and outer walls, evidence of ongoing erosion.
Granite fragments scattered across the crater floor showed minimal weathering, further supporting the theory that the impact occurred within the past 10,000 years.
Researchers examined 100 thin sections of quartz from rock samples and found over 50 grains containing planar deformation features consistent with known impact sites.
Prior to this discovery, all confirmed craters in China were found in the northeast. This finding not only expands China’s crater map but also broadens global understanding of how such structures can persist in humid, weather-prone environments.
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