List of impact craters in Africa

Bird's eye view of Roter Kamm crater (2017)
Bird's eye view of Tswaing Crater (2008)

Confirmed impact craters

This list of impact craters in Africa includes all confirmed impact craters (a total of 20) as listed in the Earth Impact Database. These features were caused by the collision of large meteorites or comets with the Earth. For eroded or buried craters, the stated diameter typically refers to an estimate of original rim diameter, and may not correspond to present surface features.

Africa
Name Location Diameter (km) Age (years) Coordinates
Agoudal[1] Morocco 3? 105 ka? 31°59′N 5°30′W / 31.983°N 5.500°W / 31.983; -5.500 (Agoudal)
Amguid Algeria 0.45 < 100,000 26°5′N 4°24′E / 26.083°N 4.400°E / 26.083; 4.400 (Amguid)
Aorounga Chad 12.6 < 345 million 19°6′N 19°15′E / 19.100°N 19.250°E / 19.100; 19.250 (Aorounga)
Aouelloul Mauritania 0.39 3.0 ± 0.3 million 20°15′N 12°41′W / 20.250°N 12.683°W / 20.250; -12.683 (Aouelloul)
BP Structure Libya 2 < 120 million 25°19′N 24°19′E / 25.317°N 24.317°E / 25.317; 24.317 (BP Structure)
Bosumtwi Ghana 10.5 1.07 million 6°30′N 1°25′W / 6.500°N 1.417°W / 6.500; -1.417 (Bosumtwi)
Gweni-Fada Chad 14 < 345 million 17°25′N 21°45′E / 17.417°N 21.750°E / 17.417; 21.750 (Gweni-Fada)
Kalkkop South Africa 0.64 0.25 million 32°43′S 24°26′E / 32.717°S 24.433°E / -32.717; 24.433 (Kalkkop)
Kamil Egypt 0.045 < 2000 22°1′6″N 26°5′15″E / 22.01833°N 26.08750°E / 22.01833; 26.08750 (Kamil)
Kgagodi Botswana 3.5 < 180 million 22°29′S 27°35′E / 22.483°S 27.583°E / -22.483; 27.583 (Kgagodi)
Luizi DRC 17 < 575 million 10°10′S 28°00′E / 10.167°S 28.000°E / -10.167; 28.000 (Luizi)
Morokweng South Africa 70 145.0 ± 0.8 million 26°28′S 23°32′E / 26.467°S 23.533°E / -26.467; 23.533 (Morokweng)
Oasis Libya 18 < 120 million 24°35′N 24°24′E / 24.583°N 24.400°E / 24.583; 24.400 (Oasis)
Ouarkziz Algeria 3.5 < 70 million 29°0′N 7°33′W / 29.000°N 7.550°W / 29.000; -7.550 (Ouarkziz)
Roter Kamm Namibia 2.5 3.7 ± 0.3 million 27°46′S 16°18′E / 27.767°S 16.300°E / -27.767; 16.300 (Roter Kamm)
Talemzane Algeria 1.75 < 3 million 33°19′N 4°2′E / 33.317°N 4.033°E / 33.317; 4.033 (Talemzane)
Tenoumer Mauritania 1.9 21,400 ± 9,700 22°55′N 10°24′W / 22.917°N 10.400°W / 22.917; -10.400 (Tenoumer)
Tin Bider Algeria 6 < 70 million 27°36′N 5°7′E / 27.600°N 5.117°E / 27.600; 5.117 (Tin Bider)
Tswaing (was Pretoria Saltpan) South Africa 1.13 0.220 ± 0.052 million 25°24′30″S 28°04′58″E / 25.40833°S 28.08278°E / -25.40833; 28.08278 (Tswaing)
Vredefort South Africa 300 2023 ± 4 million 27°0′S 27°30′E / 27.000°S 27.500°E / -27.000; 27.500 (Vredefort)

Unconfirmed impact craters

The following craters are officially considered "unconfirmed" because they are not listed in the Earth Impact Database. Due to stringent requirements regarding evidence and peer-reviewed publication, newly discovered craters or those with difficulty collecting evidence generally are known for some time before becoming listed. However, entries on the unconfirmed list could still have an impact origin disproven.

Mahas crater
Name Location Diameter Age Coordinates
Kebira Gilf Kebir region, Egypt 31 km 100 million 24°40′N 24°58′E / 24.667°N 24.967°E / 24.667; 24.967 (Kebira)
Temimichat[2] Mauritania 0.75 km unknown 24°15′N 9°39′W / 24.250°N 9.650°W / 24.250; -9.650 (Temimichat)
Wembo-Nyama ring structure[3][4] DR Congo 36–46 km (est.) 60 million 3°37′52″S 24°31′07″E / 3.63111°S 24.51861°E / -3.63111; 24.51861 (Wembo-Nyama ring structure)
Mahas1 Northern, Sudan 2.85 km Unknown 20°01′53″N 30°13′40″E / 20.03139°N 30.22778°E / 20.03139; 30.22778 (Mahas)

Notes

1Mahas was anonymously added Jan 2015, but the coordinates do show a convincing impact-like structure.

See also

References

  1. ↑ CHENNAOUI AOUDJEHANE, H., EL KERNI, H., REIMOLD, W., BARATOUX, D., KOEBERL, C., BOULEY, S., and AOUDJEHANE, M. (2016). "The Agoudal (High Atlas Mountains, Morocco) shatter cone conundrum: A recent meteorite fall onto the remnant of an impact site". Meteoritics & Planetary Science, pp.1-22, 2016.
  2. ↑ A. P. Rossi; A. Baliva & E. Piluso (2003). "New Evidences of an Impact Origin for Temimichat Crater, Mauritania" (PDF). Lunar and Planetary Science. Lunar and Planetary Institute. XXXIV.
  3. ↑ G. Monegato; M. Massironi & E. Martellato (2010). "The Ring Structure of Wembo-Nyama (Eastern Kasai, R.D. Congo): A Possible Impact Crater in Central Africa" (PDF). Lunar and Planetary Science. Lunar and Planetary Institute. XLI.
  4. ↑ "Ring may be giant 'impact crater'". BBC News. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
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