Sierra Madera crater
Encyclopedia
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
(astrobleme) in southwestern Pecos County, Texas
Pecos County, Texas
Pecos County is a county located in Texas which is named for the Pecos River. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 16,809. The county seat is Fort Stockton....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The central peak of the rebound structure of the impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
rises 793 feet (242 m) above the surrounding land. The peak is visible from U.S. Highway 385 between Fort Stockton, Texas
Fort Stockton, Texas
Fort Stockton is a city in Pecos County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,846 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pecos County.-Geography:Fort Stockton is located at ....
and Marathon, Texas
Marathon, Texas
Marathon is a census-designated place in Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 470 in 2007, after growing from 455 in 2000, but had decreased to 430 by 2010.-Geography:Marathon is located at ....
. The Sierra Madera crater is located on private property on the La Escalera Ranch
La Escalera Ranch
La Escalera Ranch consists of approximately 260,000 acre , located south of Fort Stockton, Texas. The ranch extends over portions of Pecos County, Brewster County, Archer County, and Baylor County, with the majority of the ranch lying in Pecos County.The 100-year old ranch was acquired by building...
.
It is 13 km in diameter
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
and the age is estimated to be less than 100 million years (Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
or younger).
External links
- Sierra Madera Astrobleme at Center for Energy and Economic Diversification (CEED), University of Texas of the Permian Basin
- La Escalera Ranch - site of Sierra Madera crater
- Sibley Nature Center - Midland, Texas - Sierra Madera astrobleme
- Sierra Madera Meteor Crater Photos by Phil Stuart