Much of the impact structure is buried by the most current sediments. Evidence for the effect crater consists of numerous examples of surprised quartz grains in breccia– a sedimentary rock type with large fragments sealed into a finer-grained matrix.
The crater itself is estimated to be 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in size, surrounded by a wider structure 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) across, where the effect caused the sedimentary strata to collapse.
Much of the effect structure is buried by the most current sediments. The crater itself is 4 kilometers in diameter and is buried at a depth of 1000 m. The edge of the structure reaches a size of 20 kilometers. Credit: Sánchez-Garrido et al 2022.
Evidence for the effect crater consists of several examples of shocked quartz grains in breccia– a sedimentary rock type with large pieces cemented into a finer-grained matrix. The grains show signs of being warped in the massive pressures of the effect, which were in between 10 and 30 gigapascals.
” If the crater discovery is confirmed, it would not only be exciting from a clinical viewpoint but would also be a fantastic addition to the clinical and touristic tourist attractions of the province of Almeria,” said Prof Sánchez Garrido.
Evidence for the impact crater includes several examples of stunned quartz grains in breccia– a sedimentary rock type with large fragments sealed into a finer-grained matrix. The grains show indications of being warped in the huge pressures of the impact, which were in between 10 and 30 gigapascals. Credit: Sánchez-Garrido et al 2022.
EPSC2022, which happened recently in Granada, was attended by almost 1200 planetary scientists from around the globe, making it one of the largest planetary science meetings to occur in Europe.
Thin sections revealing deformations in three quartz grains, produced by shock effects, in an effect breccia at Tabernas. Credit: Sánchez-Garrido et al 2022.
The Chair of the Local Organising Committee, Luisa Lara of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía-CSIC, stated: “It was a great deal of work to prepare for the meeting and we had to wait 2 years because of the pandemic. The feeling of welcoming everyone to EPSC2022 in Granada has been worth everything– all the work is forgotten and the success of the meeting is a wonderful reward.”.
Reference: “A likely impact structure in Betic Cordillera, Almeria, SE Spain” by Juan Antonio Sánchez Garrido, Jens Olof Ormö, Carl Alwmark, Sanna Alwmark, Gabriel Zachen, Robert Lilljequist and Sebastián Tomás Sánchez Gómez, 23 September 2022, Europlanet Science Congress 2022. DOI: 10.5194/ epsc2022-217.
The effect crater, which was triggered by an impact even around 8 million years ago, has to do with 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in size.
The crater was found in the province of Almeria.
The first likely effect crater in Spain has been found in the southern province of Almeria. The finding was just recently reported by Juan Antonio Sánchez Garrido of the University of Almeria at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022.
There are over 200 effect structures understood to exist, this research study is the first to find evidence of an effect crater on the Iberian Peninsula. The finding is the product of 15 years of research conducted by a global team of scientists from the University of Almeria, the Astrobiology Center of Madrid, the University of Lund, and the University of Copenhagen.
Area of the crater center and 20-kilometer radius of the area impacted by the impact in the Alhabia-Tabernas basin. Credit: Sánchez-Garrido et al 2022. Basemap: Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN).
Prof Sánchez Garrido stated: “We think that the effect event took place around 8 million years earlier. We have examined numerous elements of the geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and geomorphology of the region. The basins of Alhabia and Tabernas in the location are filled with sediments going back in between 5 and 23 million years, and they overlie older metamorphic rocks. Much of the impact structure is buried by more modern sediments, but disintegration has exposed it and opened up the opportunity for research studies.”.
Location of the crater center and 20-kilometer radius of the location affected by the effect in the Alhabia-Tabernas basin. Prof Sánchez Garrido said: “We believe that the impact event happened around 8 million years back. Much of the effect structure is buried by more modern sediments, but erosion has actually exposed it and opened up the opportunity for studies.”.