Wolfe Creek Crater

Wolfe Creek Crater is a meteorite impact crater (astrobleme) in Western Australia.McNamara, K. "Wolf Creek Crater "illustrations by Ben Jackson. Perth, W.A : Western Australian Museum, 1982. ISBN 0-7244-9239-9] ,cite web | title = Wolfe Creek | work = Earth Impact Database | publisher = Planetary and Space Science Centre | date = April 26, 2006 | url = http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase/images/wolfe-creek.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-06 ] It is accessed via the Tanami Road 105 km south of the town of Halls Creek. The crater is central to the Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater National Park.cite web | title = Wolfe Creek Crater National Park | work = NatureBase National Parks | publisher = Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia | year = 2007 | url = http://www.naturebase.net/component/option,com_hotproperty/task,view/id,41/ | accessdate = 2007-02-08 ]

The crater averages about 875 metres in diameter, 60 metres from rim to present crater floor and it is estimated that the meteorite that formed it had a mass of about 50,000 tonnes , while the age is estimated to be less than 300,000 years (Pleistocene). ]

The local Djaru (Jaru) Aboriginal people know it as "Kandimalal". It was brought to the attention of science after being spotted during an aerial survey in 1947, investigated on the ground two months later, and reported in publication in 1949.Reeves F. & Chalmers R.O. 1949. The Wolf Creek crater. Australian Journal of Sciences 11, 145-156.] The European name for the crater comes from a nearby creek, which was in turn named after Robert Wolfe (early reports misspell the name as Wolf Creek), a prospector and storekeeper during the gold rush that established the town of Halls Creek.cite web | url = http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=10162| title = Wolf Creek Crater, Koongee Park - Alice Springs Rd, Halls Creek, WA | work = Australian Heritage Database | publisher = | accessdate = 2007-02-08]

Trivia

The crater was featured in the 2005 horror film "Wolf Creek", the plot of which included unusual electromagnetic activity in the surrounding area.

References