In a groundbreaking discovery, Chinese scientists have identified a rare meteorite crater perched atop a mountain ridge—a first of its kind.
The newly found Hailin impact crater is located in the northern mountains of Hailin city, nestled in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. Shaped like an elliptical dustpan, the crater spans a diameter of 1,360 meters. The elevation difference between its highest rim and the lowest point at its center exceeds 100 meters, resembling a massive funnel suspended on the ridge of the Changbai Mountains.
“This impact occurred in the late Cenozoic Era, hundreds of thousands of years ago,” explained Chen Ming, a researcher at the Beijing-based Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research. Meteorite craters like this are formed by the collision of celestial bodies such as asteroids with Earth.
While over 200 meteorite craters have been identified globally, discoveries within China are extremely rare, making this finding particularly significant. Meteorites not only captivate with their extraterrestrial origins but also serve as vital tools for scientific exploration of outer space.
Experts believe that this discovery enriches our understanding of planetary collision history. It offers a new perspective for exploring impact cratering mechanisms and the effects of shock metamorphism in China’s unique terrains. “The Hailin crater provides valuable insights into the dynamic processes that have shaped our planet,” Chen Ming added.
This remarkable finding underscores the importance of ongoing research in geology and astronomy, inspiring a new generation of scientists to look to the stars—and beneath our feet—for answers.
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Chinese scientists discover meteorite crater on mountain ridge
cgtn.com
