China has officially confirmed the discovery of the world’s largest known impact crater formed within the last 10,000 years.
The Jinlin crater, located in Deqing County, Guangdong Province, was verified by the China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP) as dating back to the early to middle Holocene epoch.
The Jinlin impact crater in south China’s Guangdong Province has been confirmed as the largest known crater on Earth since the Holocene period, which spans from 11,700 years ago to the present, the China Academy of Engineering Physics said on Wednesday https://t.co/2TkUUqOv8g pic.twitter.com/kjjGOiy0PE
— China Xinhua Sci-Tech (@XHscitech) October 22, 2025
Researchers found signs of shock metamorphism, evidence of an extraterrestrial body striking Earth at high velocity, rather than any natural geological cause. Measuring 900 meters in diameter, the Jinlin crater is significantly larger than other Holocene craters, which typically measure under 300 meters.
The impact is estimated to have released energy equivalent to 600,000 tonnes of TNT.
This discovery, detailed in the journal Matter and Radiation at Extremes, provides new insight into how meteorite impacts shape tropical and subtropical landscapes, regions where geological traces often erode quickly due to heavy weathering.
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