# Ames impact crater dating revision

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ames-impact-crater-dating-revision
> Updated: 2026-10-04T14:08:02.000Z. Sources: 9. Developments: 2.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have revised the age of the Ames impact structure in Oklahoma, determining it is approximately 100 million years younger than previously estimated. While the 10-mile-wide subsurface structure was formerly thought to have formed 467 million years ago during the Ordovician period, new evidence suggests the impact occurred roughly 370 million years ago during the Late Devonian period.

The previous dating relied on conodont fossils, but researchers now believe the impact event may have jumbled older fossil material into the site, creating a false correlation. To achieve a more direct date, the team utilized uranium-lead dating on zircon crystals in granite affected by the collision. 

This revised timeline removes the Ames crater from a scientific hypothesis suggesting Earth may have been encircled by a ring of asteroid debris during the Middle Ordovician. The site remains economically significant as a producer of oil and gas.

## Claims

- The Ames impact structure in Oklahoma is approximately 100 million years younger than previously estimated. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The meteorite impact occurred roughly 370 million years ago during the Late Devonian period. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Ames impact structure is a significant producer of oil and gas. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Previous dating relied on conodont teeth fossils that were likely already millions of years old when the impact occurred. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Researchers used uranium-lead dating of zircon crystals to establish the revised timeline. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The new dating removes the Ames crater from the Ordovician Meteor Event hypothesis regarding a Saturn-like ring of asteroid debris. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-04: Ames impact structure in Oklahoma dated 100 million years younger

University of Texas at Austin researchers have dated the Ames impact structure in Oklahoma to 370 million years ago, placing it in the Late Devonian rather than the Ordovician period.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ames-impact-structure-in-oklahoma-dated-100-million-years-younger

### 2026-09-29: Ames impact crater in Oklahoma dated 100 million years younger

University of Texas researchers found the Ames impact crater in Oklahoma formed 370 million years ago, much later than previously thought, linking it to a major marine extinction event.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ames-impact-crater-in-oklahoma-dated-100-million-years-younger

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Cite as: Ames impact crater dating revision. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ames-impact-crater-dating-revision