Kgagodi crater

Kgagodi crater
Location of the crater in Botswana
Impact crater/structure
Confidence	Confirmed
Diameter	3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Age	<180 Ma ~Cretaceous
Exposed	Yes
Drilled	Yes
Location
Location	Kalahari Basin
Coordinates	22°29′S27°35′E / 22.483°S 27.583°E / -22.483; 27.583
Country	Botswana
District	Central

Kgagodi is an exposed meteorite crater in Botswana, roughly 7 kilometres south of the village of Kgagodi, where it got its name. ^[1]

It is 3.5 km in diameter and the age is roughly less than 180 million years. It is estimated to be from the late Cretaceous to early Tertiary Period. The crater is best known for being Botswana's first recognised impact structure. ^[2]

History

The Kgagodi crater first came to attention in 1997, when a Botswana water-drilling expedition came across an elliptical-shaped structure. It was filled with sediment. The Geological Survey of Botswana then drilled a core sample that was 274 meters deep. The core sample suggested that it may be an impact structure, but there was no definite evidence for it. It was during another study of the structure that yielded the answer. Impact breccia were soon discovered, confirming Kgagodi as an impact crater. ^[2]

See also

• List of impact craters in Africa

References

1. "Kgagodi". Earth Impact Database . Planetary and Space Science Centre University of New Brunswick Fredericton . Retrieved 15 August 2009.
2. Brandt, D.; Holmes, H.; Reimold, W. U.; Paya, B. K.; Koeberl, C.; Hancox, P. J. (2002). "Kgagodi Basin: The first impact structure recognized in Botswana". Meteoritics and Planetary Science. 37 (12): 1765. Bibcode:2002M&PS...37.1765B. doi: 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01162.x . S2CID   128680112.

Further reading

• Brandt, D., Holmes, H., Reimold, W. U., Paya, B. K., Koeberl, C. and Hancox, P. J., Kgagodi Basin: The first impact structure recognized in Botswana, Meteoritics and Planetary Science. 2002, v. 37, n. 12, p. 1765. 2002
• Brandt, D., Holmes, H., Reimold, W.U., Paya, B.K., Koeberl, C., Hancox, P.J., Kgagodi Basin: The first impact recognized in Botswana, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 37, 1765–1779. 2002
• Reimold, W. U., Paya, B.K., Holmes, H., Brandt, D., Koeberl, C., Dladla, C. and Hancox, P.J., Kgagodi Basin, Botswana: Origin by meteorite impact confirmed! 63rd Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting. Abs. No. 5009. 2000