All Recorded Meteorite Impacts in the United States

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Meteorite impacts have long captured the imagination of people around the world, often evoking images of dramatic destruction and cosmic mystery. While such events are rare, they have left their mark on Earth, including the United States. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of recorded meteorite strikes in the U.S., exploring their locations, sizes, and impacts.

Meteorite Basics

Before we dive into the specifics of meteorite impacts in the U.S., let’s clarify what a meteorite is. Meteorites are rocks from space that survive the fiery passage through Earth’s atmosphere and land on the planet’s surface. They come from asteroids, the Moon, or Mars, and their impact can range from small thuds to significant craters.

Meteorite Impact Sites in the U.S.

In the United States, an average of 7.6 meteorites falls each year. Among them stony meteorites are 78%; Irons, mesosiderites, and pallasites – 22%. The most common mass range for United States meteorites is 4-8 kg.

Moreover, the U.S. has witnessed several significant meteorite impacts throughout its history. One of the most famous is the Meteor Crater in Arizona, also known as Barringer Crater, created around 50,000 years ago by an iron meteorite about 50 meters in diameter. This impact left a crater over 1,000 meters wide and 170 meters deep, serving as a stark reminder of the Earth’s vulnerability to cosmic impacts.

Another notable impact site is the Canyon Diablo crater field in Arizona, which includes several smaller craters formed by the same meteorite shower that created the Meteor Crater. These craters range from 15 to 120 meters in diameter, highlighting the widespread nature of the impact event.

The map of the United States created by Reddit user thearrowhead shows all recorded meteorite impacts in the United States from 1918 to 2018.

Other Impact Sites

While the Meteor Crater and Canyon Diablo are among the most famous, the U.S. has experienced numerous other meteorite strikes, albeit less dramatic. For example, in Peekskill, New York, in 1992, a meteorite struck a parked car, creating a small crater and causing significant damage to the vehicle.

In recent years, advances in technology and monitoring have enabled scientists to track and record smaller meteorite impacts more accurately. While these events rarely cause significant damage, they serve as a reminder of the ongoing interaction between Earth and the cosmos.

Interested in meteorites? These books will be useful!

• Meteorite: How Stones from Outer Space Made Our World
• Meteorites: The Story of Our Solar System