Hickman crater facts for kids
 Location in Western Australia
|
|
| Impact crater/structure | |
|---|---|
| Confidence | Confirmed |
| Diameter | 260 m (850 ft) |
| Depth | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Age | 10-100 ka Pleistocene |
| Exposed | Yes |
| Drilled | Yes |
| Bolide type | 10–15 m (33–49 ft) |
| Location | |
| Location | Ophthalmia Range |
| Coordinates | 23°2′13.4″S 119°40′59.3″E / 23.037056°S 119.683139°E |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Western Australia |
The Hickman crater is a recently found meteorite impact crater. It is located in Western Australia, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of the Hope Downs 4 Mine. It is also 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Newman, in the Ophthalmia Range.
A government geologist named Arthur Hickman found the crater in July 2007. He discovered it by chance while looking at Google Earth. In 2017, a scientific drilling project confirmed that an iron-nickel meteorite caused the crater.
What is the Hickman Crater?
The Hickman crater is about 260 meters (850 feet) wide and 30 meters (98 feet) deep. Scientists believe it is between 10,000 and 100,000 years old. Newer research suggests it might be around 50,000 years old.
What Did Scientists Find Inside the Crater?
Scientists found high levels of special metals in the crater. These metals, like iridium and palladium, are often found in meteorites. They are called siderophiles because they like to mix with iron.
It is thought that the meteorite was between 10 and 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) wide. This was its size when it hit the ground.
How Was the Crater Explored?
In 2012, the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) started a drilling project. They worked with a company called Atlas Iron. The results of this project were shared in 2017.
The drilling went 65 meters (213 feet) deep into the crater. It showed that the center of the crater is filled with about 48 meters (157 feet) of sediment. This sediment washed in after the crater formed.
Below the sediment, there is a thick layer of smashed and melted rock. This layer is nearly seven meters (23 feet) thick. It formed the original floor of the crater. Underneath this, the bedrock is fractured, meaning it has many cracks.
Scientists analyzed the smashed and melted rock. They found pieces of the original bedrock. They also found traces of material from an iron meteorite. This means the crater was definitely made by a meteorite impact. The inside of the crater looks similar to other small meteorite craters found around the world.
