Two underground craters measuring 400km together in size have been discovered in central Australia, sparking the possibility of a previously unknown asteroid impact event 300 million years ago that caused many species to go extinct. The impact zone was found in the Warburton Basin in two parts, each 200km wide, indicating the meteor that created them split into two before smashing into the earth. Even though it was found two kilometres underground, the impact zone is now the largest in the world, by over 100km. Dr Andrew Glikson from ANU indicates that the size of the asteroid means it could have impacted a mass extinction . The precise age of the crater is not yet known exactly, but researchers think it may be around 300 million years. ‘We cannot define this impact zone in anywhere near the degree of detail we can define the ones exposed on the surface,' Lead Researcher Dr Andrew Glikson of the Australian National University told Daily Mail Australia. Researchers strongly believe the meteor could have caused the end of many life species on the planet at the time, including the dinosaurs. 'From the size - yes, it could have impacted a mass extinction,' Dr Glikson said. 'Even though we do not know the exact age of the meteor yet, we do know life was very primitive at that time.' The impact zone extends through the Earth's crust which is around 30km thick in Central Australia. The two adjoining craters were thought to have been caused when a meteor split on its approach to Earth, forming two smaller ones each about 10km across. This impact zone, if confirmed, would be the largest in the world. The second largest is the Vredefort crater in South Australia, spanning 300km. This zone survives on the surface of Earth and therefore is easier to find than those underground. The impact zone was flagged after rock affected by heat and pressure was turned into glass . The impact zone was flagged after rock affected by heat and pressure, consequently being turned into glass was discovered, also known as shock metamorphism. The features of this metamorphism show that material was dramatically thrown out of the area in a span of more than 200km, indicating the possibility of a mass extinction. After using geothermal research to look at the internal heat of the earth and seismic data to see the vibrations of the earth's surface, the team of geophysicists released high velocity shocks two kilometres underground by drilling. The impact zone was found in the Warburton basin in Central Australia and spans 400 kilometres . Scientists have been using information from a major 2010 discovery that showed a large meteorite strike 66 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs. A plume of ash was sent up into the air from the impact and sediment from this collision is found in rocks around the world today. However, none of this sediment has been discovered in 300 million-year-old samples indicating that this site could be older. Further studies of the geochemistry and composition of the impact site are in progress.
Two meteros each 10km across left a 400km impact zone in Australia . A team of researchers found the crater two kilometres underground . Researchers say the impact could have caused mass animal extinctions . The zone was found with high velocity shocks and drilling into the earth . The impact may have happened around 300 million years ago .