China Confirms Jinlin Largest Holocene Impact Crater

Scientists in China have confirmed the discovery of the Jinlin impact crater in Guangdong Province as the largest known impact crater formed on Earth during the Holocene period, the last 11,700 years. Measuring about 900 meters wide and 90 meters deep, it far exceeds the size of previously recorded Holocene craters, which are typically less than 300 meters across. Researchers determined the crater was created by a hypervelocity impact from a small extraterrestrial body, with an estimated energy release equivalent to 600,000 tons of TNT. Despite the region's heavy rainfall and erosion, the crater remains well preserved, indicating its relatively young geological age. This discovery marks the first confirmed impact crater in southern China, expanding the known distribution of impact sites in the country, which were previously found only in the north. The findings, published in the journal Matter and Radiation at Extremes, provide valuable insights into recent extraterrestrial collisions and impact crater preservation in tropical and subtropical environments.