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Ames impact structure in Oklahoma dated 100 million years younger
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have determined that the Ames impact structure, located beneath Ames, Oklahoma, is approximately 100 million years younger than previously believed. Using uranium-lead dating on zircon crystals, the team established that the meteorite impact occurred roughly 370 million years ago during the Late Devonian period.
This finding challenges the long-standing scientific consensus that the crater was part of the Ordovician Meteor Event, which occurred around 467.5 million years ago. Previous estimates were based on conodont teeth fossils found in the rock; however, researchers now believe the impact churned up older Ordovician sediment, making the fossils unreliable for dating the event itself.
The revised timeline removes the Ames crater from a specific hypothesis suggesting Earth may have been encircled by a Saturn-like ring of asteroid debris during the Middle Ordovician. The study, which involved collaboration with NASA for specialized imaging, provides a more precise geological timeline for the site, which remains economically significant as an oil and gas producer.
Entities
Ames impact structure · Elizabeth Catlos · NASA · Oklahoma · University of Texas at Austin
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Previous dating relied on conodont teeth fossils that were likely already millions of years old when the impact occurred. www.senseaboutscience.org.uk · wonderfulengineering.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Researchers used uranium-lead dating of zircon crystals to establish the revised timeline. time.news · wonderfulengineering.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Ames impact structure in Oklahoma is approximately 100 million years younger than previously estimated. www.senseaboutscience.org.uk · time.news · wonderfulengineering.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The new dating removes the Ames crater from the Ordovician Meteor Event hypothesis regarding a Saturn-like ring of asteroid debris. www.senseaboutscience.org.uk · time.news
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Ames impact structure is a significant producer of oil and gas. www.senseaboutscience.org.uk · time.news · wonderfulengineering.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The meteorite impact occurred roughly 370 million years ago during the Late Devonian period. www.senseaboutscience.org.uk · time.news · wonderfulengineering.com