Scientists discover ‘world’s largest’ asteroid structure buried under Australia
Topics: Science, Technology, Australia
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Andreus/Matthias Kulka/Getty Images
Topics: Science, Technology, Australia
With how advanced science and technology is nowadays, it's pretty incredible what new things we continue to discover.
Just recently, scientists discovered a massive 'ocean' beneath Earth's surface, while it was also uncovered that Earth could soon lose a second for the first time in history.
One of the more interesting scientific discoveries was uncovered in Australia in 2022, as the country could be harbouring a remarkable subterranean secret that could change planet Earth as we know it.
The intriguing findings were published in an essay featured in The Conversation.
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In that, geologist Andrew Glikson claimed that his latest research has a lot of evidence pointing to something big being on the cards.
First of all, it suggests that an asteroid crater could be buried underneath Australia, which is pretty big news in itself.
On top of that, the expert's research concluded that it was the largest known on the planet, and by a huge margin as well.
Further information regarding the findings was published in the journal Tectonophysics in 2023.
The study, conducted by Glikson and his colleague Tony Yeates, discusses the Deniliquin structure, a rather large asteroid structure that is estimated to be over 320 miles in diameter.
If that diameter proves to be accurate, it would dwarf the largest confirmed impact structure in the world right now.
The Vredefort Crater in South Africa is approximately 100 miles wide, and on top of that, you've got the Chicxulub Crater of a similar size.
The Chicxulub crater is of great significance as it is believed to be from the asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs.
There is great evidence this structure is legit, with Glikson penning in The Conversation: "The Deniliquin structure has all the features that would be expected from a large-scale impact structure.
"For instance, magnetic readings of the area reveal a symmetrical rippling pattern in the crust around the structure’s core.
"This was likely produced during the impact as extremely high temperatures created intense magnetic forces."
With this structure being so large, you may be asking yourself how it can remain hidden underneath our feet unnoticed for such a long time.
Glikson explained: "When an asteroid strikes, it creates a crater with an uplifted core. This is similar to how a drop of water splashes upward from a transient crater when you drop a pebble in a pool."
The scientist went on to note that the structure can erode over millions of years, subsequently making it less prominent.
Many other reasons were provided as to how the structure looks to be an asteroid crater, including symmetrical ripples in the crust caused by the extreme temperatures of an impact.