yilan crater

A new study of the Yilan Crater in northeastern China offers a rare glimpse into the aftermath of a powerful ancient impact. By listening to subtle ground vibrations with passive seismic tools, researchers uncovered a bowl-shaped structure hidden beneath the surface, evidence of a meteorite strike that took place around 49 000 years ago. Their analysis suggests the object hit with such force that the Yilan event ranks among the most powerful known impacts on Earth in the past 80 000 years, likely leaving lasting effects across the surrounding region.