Tabun-Khara-Obo crater

{{Short description|Impact crater in south-east Mongolia}}

{{Infobox terrestrial impact site

| name = Tabun-Khara-Obo crater

| other_name =

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| map = Mongolia

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Location of Tabun-Khara-Obo crater in Mongolia

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| coordinates = {{coord|44|8|N|109|39|E|type:landmark_scale:30000|display=inline,title}}

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| confidence = Confirmed

| diameter = {{convert|1.3|km|abbr=on}}

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| rise = {{convert|20|to|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| imp_size =

| age = 150 ± 20 Ma
Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

| exposed = Yes

| drilled = Yes

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| country = {{flag|Mongolia}}

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| province = Dornogovi Province

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}}

Tabun-Khara-Obo is an impact crater in the Dornogovi Aimag (province) the south-east of Mongolia.[http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/New%20website_05-2018/Tabunkharaobo.html Earth Impact DB - Tabun-Khara-Obo]

The crater, which is exposed at the surface, is {{convert|1.3|km|abbr=on}} in diameter. The crater's rim rises some {{convert|20|to|30|m|ft}} above the crater bottom, but the bottom of crater is covered with up to {{convert|171|m|ft}} thick layer of lake deposits - a testimony that this crater in earlier times was filled with a lake.{{cite web|url=http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/As/Mongolia/Dornogovi/TabunKharaObo.htm|title=Tabun Khara Obo|publisher=Wondermondo}}

It has an estimated age of 150 ± 20 million years (Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous). The site was first identified as a probable impact crater in the 1960s, although confirmation of the hypothesis only occurred decades later.{{cite web | url =http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=40072 | title = Tabun Khara Obo, Mongolia | publisher = NASA Earth Observatory|accessdate = 2009-09-08}}

Drilling at the site in 2008 revealed rock features consistent with high-speed impacts such as those caused by meteorites.

Image:Tabun-Khara-Obo crater.jpg|Landsat image of the Tabun-Khara-Obo crater; screen capture from NASA World Wind.

Image:Tabun-Khara-Obo crater x5.jpg|Oblique Landsat image of Tabun-Khara-Obo crater draped over digital elevation model (x5 vertical exaggeration); screen capture from NASA World Wind.

Image:Image-Tabun-Khara-Obo crater from-the-ground.jpg|View to north across the Tabun-Khara-Obo crater.

Image:Tabun Khara Obo, Mongolia.jpg|Satellite image of the crater and surrounding area.