South Australia's Massive Asteroid Impact That Shook the World

#asteroid #impact #meteorite #crater #australia #southaustralia #adelaide #acramanimpactcreater #lakeacraman #geoscience #geology #naturaldisaster #naturaldisaster #comet #meteoritecrater #meteorites #earthscience #geological #supervolcano #gawlerranges #earthsciences #volcanoes #geosciences

Lake Acraman is a seemingly ordinary salt lake located in an arid region of South Australia. The reality of its original geological formation wasn't too obvious, as its current day presentation is hard to visually read. It was only be examining the rocks that it became clear that Lake Acraman was actually formed by a massive meteorite impact over 580 million years ago. This asteroid was so large when it impacted earth, that it was, to this day, one of the largest known impact sites to exist on our planet.

At around 90km wide, this crater would've been truly impressive to see after it was formed. But with time, erosion vastly altered the landscape, eroding over 2.5km below the actual crater floor. Leaving few visual identifiers in present day. The Acraman impact crater is known as a complex crater, because it isn't the traditional bowl shape that asteroid impacts are known to create when they make contact with the Earth. The original meteorite crater has long been eroded here, meaning there's variations in elevation throughout the area today due to the erosion resistant volcanic rock that exists here en masse, after a totally unrelated event occurred here 1.6 billion years ago when a supervolcano erupted here forming the only felsic shield volcano in the world. But I digress, in this video, we cover the Acraman impact site, and view it under a variety of differing tools to correct ascertain the true extra of it. We use magnetics as usual, but we also introduce a new tool, radiometrics, which we will use for the first time in this video, a way to view the radioactivity of material to better help us to expose the extent of the original crater ring on the maps.

Along with this, we introduce a brand new simulator tool to the series. So that we can travel to these places and view these incredible structures in an almost photorealistic way. Thank you to everyone who donated to the channel to make this happen.

I will cover the asteroid impact in a step by step process, and explain how it might've altered evolution as we know it, when it occurred.

If you wish to be in the loop for more content such as this, each like, share and subscription helps the channel immensely. But either way there will be new videos covering a whole range of topics so I hope you will be there to join in the fun on this epic journey!

Thank you to Martin Schmieder for the fantastic Quartz picture. You're a legend!

🎥 If you would like to support this channel, consider joining our Patreon:

👉 You can also click the "join" button to join our Youtube channel's membership. Every contribution helps to create more videos.

💥Link To Our Facebook:

🌏 About OzGeology
OzGeology is an Australian-based YouTube channel that specializes in creating high-quality documentaries on Earth sciences and natural disasters. The content is designed to be easy to digest and covers a wide range of topics, not only focusing on geology but occasionally exploring other scientific areas as well.

[OzGeologyOfficial]

I've also created a discord server for both Patrons and Youtube Members to join. This should be updated in the Youtube perks shortly once approved.
Thank you to everyone who supports the channel! Your support means the world to me.

[janewray-mccann]

Hey brother, you might not know but you can still find a thin dust layer of the Acraman, about 3mm thick covering various Cambrian volcanic outcrops on the east side of the Flinders Range around the Beltara zone and over two hundred k's from the impact site. I collected about 30 pieces of the dust layer itself about 15 years ago and used them all in a fairly large rock mosaic titled Supernova Metallica. Very interesting vid young fella. Nice work. Rory, Tasmania.

[SJR_Media_Group]

Excellent presentation of complicated processes in easy to understand examples. My first question at beginning of video was how lake became saltwater. It had to be underwater in a saltwater sea at time of impact. Later found out that is how it happened. There is nothing boring about the very complex, very old, and very wonderful geology in Australia. Just when you think you have it all figured out, along comes an even bigger mystery to solve.

[harrietharlow]

I find Australia very interesting because there is so much very ancient rock that is fairly accessible. Could you one day do a bit on the part of Australia that used be connected with North America. I found out about this about 5 years ago and would love to know more. Also more about the cratons of Australia, please. Subbed!

[deanmurray]

Great content again mate.
You’re really highlighting just how geologically active our continent has been, despite current appearances Lo.l.
You’re channel is doing great things! 🤩

[cjd]

Excellent channel. Nearly every episode, I’m learning something new about Australia’s geographical and geological history. I don’t recall any of these interesting historical events being taught to us in school. Very educational and so interesting, keep up the great work!

[robertgotschall]

Excellent graphics. Thanks for putting it all together for me.

[by.phillip]

Interesting video! I recently spent time exploring the Flinders range, Coober Pedy, Uluru, Gosses Bluff, Henbury craters, Kings Canyon and others. Could it be possible for Uluru to be a meteorite impact? If there was a great flood around the world, could it have filled up the crater? Also, could Mount Warning in NSW be a impact crater? I've explored around the area and the outer rim just doesn't look like normal erosion, more like a massive upheaval event. If you measure the base of Mount Warning, it's about the same size as Uluru.

[bushcast]

Fantastic video! I visited the shores of Lake Acraman a few years back when filming for the Hiltaba Reserve next door. I'll never forget coming over the hill to see the 20 kilometre ring of mountains around the lake, and to watch your excellent video and hear of the magnitude of the event makes it even more special. Keep up the great work! John.

[gravitonthongs]

Cranked it up a notch with this one mate 👍

[dean]

Great video, love the aerial plane shots.

[Bellakelpie]

Great video. Well done. Love the CGI stuff.

[thefourthwritedjentleman]

So glad I found your channel, excellent presentation and I am originally from Whyalla South Australia

We used to to Wilpena pound for holidays, from the aerial pics it looks like a massive crater

[jimmymiddleton]

Hey mate. This is a brilliant channel. Well done. I stumbled on it a few days back, and can't stop watching. Well done. You should look into Wilpena Pound at some point. It's a pretty amazing place, but I am a South Aussie, so do have my bias 🤣

[rustymotor]

Fascinating information, never heard about this one and I am born and bred in central Australia. A friend lives in Coober Pedy has his own private aircraft and has spent a lot of time flying over the desert, he told me he once noticed a smaller crater like structure on the otherwise flat, open terrain. I will have to try and find out where it is, certainly could be some srt of Meteorite crater worth examining.

[kazwilson]

I never once even thought about the debris that would come raining back down after impact. Bloody hell, there's really no escaping 😱it is there.

[brianedwards]

I live in Adelaide and never even heard of this lake let alone the meteorite impact. Fascinating. If I could give a little bit of constructive criticism perhaps you could be less declamatory. A little dynamic variation would make the main points stand out a bit better (I had to backtrack a couple of times). Just saying but I don't want to step on your creative toes.

[aussie]

WOW, the stuff you learn about the state you live in when you stumble on videos, thanks.

[ValleyBanger]

Love your presentations, it's wonderful discovering the wonderful geology of this ancient land

[rodneymiddleton]

great video mate and very close to where I once lived as a kid in Parachilna 😁