What do I do if I think I found a meteorite impact crater?

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Hello and welcome to CoreFacts, where we're always short on time and big on science. I'm Steve Sobieszczyk. Today's we have a question about impact craters.

What do I do if I think I found a meteorite impact crater?

Although the USGS does have an Astrogeology Research Program, whose website is astrogeology.usgs.gov, it is neither the expert facility nor ultimate authority for confirming impact crater sites. We suggest you check out the University of New Brunswick Planetary and Space Science Center, which is probably the best resource for verifying the authenticity of an impact crater. As part of their research, the University of New Brunswick maintains a database of identified and confirmed impact crater sites, as well as guidelines for impact crater indicators and criteria such as shatter cones, high pressure mineral polymorphs, and impact melt breccias. For more information about the University of New Brunswick Planetary and Space Science Center check the links in our show notes.

Another resource we recommend would be the Terrestrial Impact Craters website, which is hosted by the University of Arizona Lunar Planetary Laboratory. Links to this website can be found in our show notes as well.

Data Manager
Planetary and Space Science Centre
Department of Geology
University of New Brunswick
2 Bailey Drive
Fredericton
New Brunswick E3B 5A3
Canada
Email: passc@unb.ca
Phone: (506) 452-6352
Fax: (506) 447-3004

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