Meteor Crater in northern Arizona is one of the world’s best-preserved meteorite impact sites, formed about 50,000 years ago when a nickel-iron meteorite struck the Colorado Plateau with tremendous force. Roughly 3,900 feet across and 560 feet deep, the crater survived so clearly because of the region’s dry climate and the site’s relatively young age. Scientific debate over its origin lasted into the 20th century, as some early investigators favored volcanism. Daniel M. Barringer championed an impact origin, and later research by F. R. Moulton, Harvey H. Nininger, and Eugene Shoemaker confirmed it. The crater became crucial evidence that impact craters exist on Earth and helped shape planetary science.

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Leupp, Arizona · USA