A meteor hit Oklahoma 100 million years later than scientists thought
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have determined that the Ames impact crater in Oklahoma is 370 million years old, rather than the previously estimated 467 million years. This revision suggests the crater is not part of the Ordovician Meteor Event as once thought.
Why it matters
Correcting the timeline of geologic events helps scientists better understand Earth's history and the evolution of life, while also impacting local economic interpretations of the site.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have revised a key piece of Oklahoma's geologic history, with possible implications for how scientists interpret major events in the history of life on Earth.
Beneath the town of Ames, Oklahoma, lies a meteor impact structure that stretches for miles underground. Layers of sediment now cover the crater, but it remains significant both scientifically and economically. The Ames impact structure is also a major producer of oil and gas.
A Crater Long Linked to an Ancient Meteor Event
For years, the Ames crater was thought to belong to a cluster of major meteor impacts across North America dating to roughly 467.5 million years ago. That period is known as the Ordovician Meteor Event.
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