Glasford crater explained

Glasford crater
Map:
  1. Illinois
Location:Illinois
Confidence:Confirmed
Age:< 430 Ma
Exposed:No
Drilled:Yes
Country:USA
State:Illinois
Municipality:Glasford, Illinois

The Glasford crater, also known as the Glasford Disturbance, Glasford Structure,[1] and Glasford Cryptoexplosion Structure[2] , is a buried impact crater in southern Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States.[3] It is one of two known meteor craters in Illinois.[4]

It is 4km (02miles) in diameter and the age is estimated to be less than 430 million years (Silurian or younger).[5] [6] It was formed in a marine environment in the Late Ordovician period.[7] [8] The meteorite is estimated between 50 and 90 million tons and likely originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.[9]

The Glasford crater was discovered by the Central Illinois Light Company (formerly CILCO, now Ameren) while drilling wells for underground natural gas storage.[10] [11] It is not visible from the surface, as it is covered by agricultural farmland.[12] The present day location is near the intersection of Cowser and Kingston Mines roads. It was identified in 1963 as a probable impact structure.[13] In the 1980s, scientists identified shatter cones. Geologists estimate the meteor released a large amount of energy, roughly equivalent to 20,000 nuclear bombs, 460 million tons of TNT, or two to three times the energy of the Mount St. Helens eruption.

According to research by geologist Charles Monson, the Glasford crater may be connected to the Great Ordovician Meteor Shower.[14] Dr. Birger Schmitz's study suggests that the dust from the meteor impact may have impacted Earth's climate and contributed to the mid-Ordovician Ice Age.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Freeberg, Jacquelyn H. . Terrestrial impact structures: a bibliography . U.S. Govt. Print. Off . 1966 . Washington . 42 . en.
  2. Ryan . Robert . Buschbach . T. C. . 1963 . Tectonic History of the Glasford Cryptoexplosion Structure: ABSTRACT . AAPG Bulletin . en-US . 47 . 2 . 368–369 . 0149-1423.
  3. Glasford . 2009-08-13.
  4. Web site: Jolley . Tiffany . 2019-11-12 . Prairie Research Institute News . 2023-10-02 . blogs.illinois.edu . en-US.
  5. Monson . Charles C. . Sweet . Dustin . Segvic . Branimir . Zanoni . Giovanni . Balling . Kyle . Wittmer . Jacalyn M. . Ganis . G. Robert . Cheng . Guo . 2019 . The Late Ordovician (Sandbian) Glasford structure: A marine-target impact crater with a possible connection to the Ordovician meteorite event . Meteoritics & Planetary Science . en . 54 . 12 . 2927–2950 . 10.1111/maps.13401 . 2019M&PS...54.2927M . 1767765 . 210296191 . 1086-9379 . Wiley.
  6. Web site: Glasford . 2023-10-02 . www.passc.net.
  7. Alwmark . C . Monson . C.C. . The Late Ordovician (Sandbian) Glasford structure: A marine-target impact crater with a possible connection to the Ordovician meteorite event . 2021 . 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2021. 54 . 12 . 2927–2950 . 10.1111/maps.13401 . 2019M&PS...54.2927M . 1767765 . 210296191 .
  8. Buschbach . Robert Ryan T. C. . 1963 . Ordovician Explosion Structure at Glasford, Illinois . AAPG Bulletin . 47 . ResearchGate.
  9. News: 1999-09-20 . Meteor cratered central Illinois . 4 . Burlington Hawk Eye .
  10. https://www.usask.ca/psychology/sarty/miacCD1/Other_old/research-report67.htm Meteorite Research - Progress Report
  11. Web site: Vlahos . Nick . 2017-02-20 . Nick in the AM: When a meteor landed near Glasford . 2023-10-02 . Peoria Journal Star . en-US.
  12. Web site: GLASFORD IMPACT STRUCTURE – Crater Explorer . 2023-10-02 . en-US.
  13. News: 1963-04-09 . Where Meteor Crashed Near Glasford . Peoria Journal Star.
  14. Web site: Shelley . Tim . 2019-11-19 . Glasford Meteor May Have Played A Role in Ancient Ice Age . 2023-10-02 . WCBU Peoria . en.

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