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Wealth Pakistan International Desk
GUANGZHOU, Oct 23 (Xinhua) — The Jinlin impact crater in south China’s Guangdong Province has been confirmed as the largest known impact crater formed on Earth since the Holocene period, which began about 11,700 years ago. The discovery was announced by the China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP).
Discovery in Guangdong’s low mountains
Located in the low mountainous area of Deqing County, northwest Guangdong, the Jinlin crater represents a major geological breakthrough. Researchers said the impact likely occurred during the early to middle Holocene period. The conclusion was drawn after studying the chemical weathering rate of local granite.
The finding sheds new light on Earth’s impact history and highlights southern China’s geological diversity, which has long been overlooked due to rapid weathering and vegetation cover.
Field study and scientific evidence
According to a paper published in the journal Matter and Radiation at Extremes, scientists conducted detailed field investigations and rock sample analyses to confirm that the Jinlin crater was caused by a high-speed extraterrestrial impact.
Chen Ming, the study’s lead author and a researcher at CAEP’s Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, said laboratory tests revealed clear signs of shock metamorphism in local rocks and minerals — a key indicator of an external impact.
“The mineral and structural evidence confirm that the Jinlin crater resulted from an external collision, not an internal geological process,” Chen said.
Scale and energy of the impact
Previously discovered Holocene-era craters were much smaller, most measuring less than 100 meters in diameter. The largest known until now was about 300 meters wide.
In contrast, the Jinlin crater spans nearly 900 meters, making it three times larger than any other crater of its period. Researchers estimated that the impact released energy equivalent to 600,000 tonnes of TNT, underscoring the event’s extraordinary magnitude.
Expanding geological knowledge
Before this discovery, only four confirmed impact craters had been found in China, all located in the northeast. None had been identified in southern China because of intense weathering and erosion that erased surface evidence.
The confirmation of the Jinlin crater therefore marks a milestone in understanding the distribution of impact events across Asia and the planet.
Experts believe the findings will refine global models of small-body impacts and improve research on planetary geology in tropical and subtropical regions.
“These results enhance our understanding of how and where impact events occur and provide guidance for future geological surveys,” the researchers concluded.
This story was originally published by Xinhua.