The world's first impact crater was discovered on a mountaintop in China
The world's first impact crater was discovered on a mountaintop in China - photo from unsplash
Chinese scientists at the High Pressure Research and Advanced Technology Center in Beijing have discovered the world's first known impact crater on a mountaintop in the northeastern region of China.
Impact crater
The Chinese newspaper "South China Morning Post" explained that scientists have confirmed that the discovered bowl-shaped crater is located at the top of Mount Fanjing in the "Bin Jilin" province in the northeast of the country, and it is caused by the explosion of a piece of space material that is believed to have been formed when a meteorite or object collided. Similar to the mountain.
Double top
By analyzing rock samples from the site, scientists discovered features that could only have been formed through a collision accident, as the diameter of the crater is 1,400 metres. They indicated that the formation of the impact crater led to changing the original terrain of Mount Fanjing, as it transformed its summit into The double peak is 1,318 meters high and 1,300 meters high and has a diameter of 1,400 metres.
Unique in the world
For his part, the lead author of the study, Chen Ming, said that the location of the crater at the top of the mountain made it unique among confirmed craters in the world.
“The strange thing is that this crater is located entirely on top of a mountain,” Messing added, noting that it was also at the highest elevation compared to its surroundings, of all the known craters that were discovered.
It is located between two peaks
Rock fragments were also found around the hole, containing mostly sandstone, in addition to a small amount of granite, dating back to the Jurassic period, which ended about 145 million years ago.
According to scientists, confirming the origin of Mount Baigifeng's crater could provide a serious perspective on how impact events formed the structures, in a unique terrain.
Mount Fanjing
Mount Fanjing is located in Tongren City, Guizhou Province, and reaches a height of 2,570 meters. It is the highest peak of the Wuling Mountains in southwest China.
A huge canyon divides the mountain into two parts with a bridge connecting each, forming a wondrous sight. There is an ancient temple on each side.
Mount Fanjing is not only famous for its beautiful scenery, but is also rich in cultural connotations. It is a sacred mountain for Chinese Buddhism and its name means an abbreviation for “Pure Land of the Heavenly King.” The mountain was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.
Mount Fanjing is considered one of the natural wonders of Asia, known as the "animal and plant gene bank" and "the precious heritage of mankind."
Source: websites