Craters caused by the impact of asteroids or comets in the distant past are more abundant on Earth than one might think. However, locating these hidden craters is much more challenging compared to the easily visible ones on the moon’s surface. Nevertheless, discovering these craters can provide valuable insights into prehistoric events that have had a lasting impact, such as the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Ludovic Ferrière, a geologist and the curator of the meteorite collection at the Natural History Museum Vienna in Austria, has a unique passion for crater hunting. This pursuit has taken him to some of the most isolated regions around the world and has even landed him in jail.
Interviewer (Joshua Howgego): Why do you search for undiscovered craters?
Ludovic Ferrière: What motivates me, apart from the thrill of traveling to remote places, is the opportunity to make new discoveries. This is a universal human trait – our innate curiosity to explore new realms.
From a scientific standpoint, impact craters generate great excitement because we now understand that a single asteroid impact can have far-reaching consequences for the entire planet. For example, the Chicxulub impactor was a 12-kilometer-wide asteroid that struck Earth approximately 66 million years ago near the coast of present-day Mexico. This impact created a crater roughly 180 kilometers wide, making it one of the largest confirmed impact structures. Furthermore, it led to the extinction of 75 percent of all plant and animal species on…
Article amended on 15 August 2022
The image in this story of the crater lakes on the Portuguese island of São Miguel has been replaced with one of the Lonar impact crater in India.
Unique Insights
While the moon’s surface is covered with visible craters, locating craters on Earth poses a greater challenge due to various factors such as geological activity, weathering, and erosion. However, discovering these hidden craters can provide crucial information about past cataclysmic events and their long-lasting effects on our planet’s ecosystem.
Ludovic Ferrière’s dedication to crater hunting is driven by the thrill of exploration and the potential for making new discoveries. This innate curiosity and desire to uncover the unknown is a defining characteristic of the human species.
The study of impact craters is of great scientific interest as it reveals the immense power of a single asteroid or comet impact. The Chicxulub impactor is a prime example, where the resulting massive crater and subsequent extinctions demonstrate the profound impact such events can have on Earth’s biodiversity.
