Veevers crater
{{Short description|Meteorite impact crater in Western Australia}}
{{use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{use Australian English|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox terrestrial impact site
| name = Veevers crater
| other_name =
| photo = Veevers crater August 2011.jpg
| photo_size =
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption = Veevers Meteorite Crater, August 2011
| map = Western Australia
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of the crater in Western Australia
| map_size =
| location = Great Sandy & Gibson Deserts
| label =
| label_position =
| coordinates = {{coord|22.97|S|125.3725|E|type:landmark_region:AU|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref =
| confidence = Confirmed
| diameter = {{convert|80|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| depth =
| rise =
| imp_size =
| age = <1 Ma
Pleistocene
| exposed = Yes
| drilled = No
| bolide = iron meteorite (IIAB)
| translation =
| language =
| pronunciation =
| topo =
| access =
| country = Australia
| state = Western Australia
| province =
| district =
| municipality =
}}
Veevers crater is an impact crater located on a flat desert plain between the Great Sandy and Gibson Deserts in the centre of the state of Western Australia.{{cite Earth Impact DB | name = Veevers| accessdate = 2009-08-20}}
The site is very remote and difficult to visit. The crater was discovered from the air in July 1975Bevan A, McNamara K (1993). Australia's Meteorite Craters. Western Australian Museum. {{ISBN|0-7309-5926-0}} during a government geological survey and named in honour of Australian geologist John Veevers[http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003522b.htm Veevers Biography.] who had worked in the area in the late 1970s.{{cite journal | vauthors=Yeates AN, ((Crowe RWA)), Towner RR | title=The Veevers crater; a possible meteoritic feature | journal=BMR Journal of Australian Geology & Geophysics | volume=1 | year=1976 | pages=77–8 }}
At the time of discovery a meteorite impact origin was suspected, but could not be proven. The subsequent discovery of iron meteorite fragments around the crater by E.M. and C.S. Shoemaker in 1987{{cite journal | vauthors=Shoemaker EM, Shoemaker CS | title=Impact structures of Western Australia | journal=Meteoritics | volume=20 | year=1985 | pages=754–6 }} [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1985Metic..20R.754S&db_key=AST&data_type=HTML&format=&high=457bf7462f06111 PDF]
removed any doubt about its origin.
Description
The crater has a symmetrical bowl-shaped topography and is considered to be one of the best preserved small meteorite craters on Earth.{{cite journal | vauthors=Shoemaker EM, Macdonald FA, Shoemaker CS | title=Geology of five small Australian impact craters | journal=Australian Journal of Earth Sciences | volume=52 | issue= 4–5| year=2005 | pages=529–44 | doi=10.1080/08120090500180921|bibcode = 2005AuJES..52..529S | s2cid=130096764 }} [http://journalsonline.tandf.co.uk/link.asp?id=t2n7222127867711 Abstract]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
The {{cvt|20|m}} wide rim rises about {{cvt|1.5|m}} above the plain, while the deepest point of the central depression is {{cvt|7|m}} below the rim crest; the rim to rim diameter averages about {{cvt|70|m}}. Based on cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating of the crater walls, the crater is less than 20 thousand years old, while the pristine state of preservation of the ejecta has been used to suggest that it may in fact be less than 4 thousand years old.
The iron meteorite fragments collected around the crater are classified as a coarse octahedrite belonging to chemical class IIAB; the fragments show considerable evidence of deformation presumably related to the impact explosion.{{cite journal | author=Bevan AWR | title=Australian crater-forming meteorites | journal=AGSO Journal of Australian Geology & Geophysics | volume=16 | year=1996 | pages=421–9 }}
It has been inferred that the original meteorite was in the size range of {{convert|100-1000|t|e3lb|abbr=off}}, probably closer to the latter, now dispersed as fragments within the crater breccia and ejecta.
== See also ==
{{portal|Geology|Western Australia}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Impact cratering on Earth}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veevers Crater}}
Category:Impact craters of Western Australia