Description: During its five-billion-year history, Earth has been hit countless times by asteroids and meteorites. Where can you come face-to-face with these scars from cosmic debris? They are found on every continent, and over 150 crater-producing events have been identified. This book describes 139 sites worldwide at which evidence of the impacts can be seen. They range in age from recent craters formed this century to the highly eroded billion-year-old ancient craters. Some impact sites are spectacular to visit, such as the Barringer Crater in Arizona, the ring-shaped mountains of Gosses Bluff, Australia, and the huge crater at Ries in Germany. For each site there is a summary table giving location, size, age and present condition. Maps are included where necessary. Paul Hodge has visited many of the sites and his photographs enrich this thorough survey. Meteorite craters are fascinating to visit, so the descriptions include guidance about access and suggested itineraries for the larger structures. Meteorite craters and impact structures of the Earth is both a reference book and a travel guide, which will interest geologists and astronomers.

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