Why it matters

Vredefort shows that a crater can be less a surface shape than a deep structure revealed by time.

What happenedOne of Earth's largest and oldest known impact structures, preserved as a deeply eroded dome.
Why it mattersVredefort shows that a crater can be less a surface shape than a deep structure revealed by time.
How scientists knowEarth Impact Database

Measurements and uncertainty

Diamètre250 km
Depthnot listed
Ageabout 2.02 billion years
StatutConfirmé
Coordinates27.000° S / 27.500° E
Record levelextended

Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.

Profil scientifique

Preserved rocks show deformation, shock evidence, and large-scale ring elements despite immense erosion.

Data provenanceEarth Impact Database

Galerie de reconstruction

Davantage de lectures visuelles du cratère

Si l'image vérifiée ne suffit pas, la fiche reçoit une reconstruction scientifique : non pas de la fantaisie à la place du fait, mais une hypothèse visuelle séparée des sources.

Palette du mondeocean blue, cloud light, and living green land
Vredefort reads as an ancient geological structure rather than a fresh crater.
Aperçu visuel actuelPlaque de base : source, matériau orbital ou planche éditoriale où commence la lecture visuelle.
Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Visual reconstruction

Reverse reconstruction → Chronological inversion → Bidirectional analysis → The present as an archive of the future

Chaque fiche doit avoir un aperçu visuel : image existante, source traitée esthétiquement ou reconstruction scientifique.

Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
Bidirectional analysischecking past-to-present and present-to-past interpretations
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Historique de recherche

Long studied as a geological anomaly, its impact origin was established through mineralogical and structural evidence.

Sources

CSVJSONVredefort. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
Earth Impact Database
Uncertainty note
Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.
Earth Impact DatabaseUniversity of New Brunswick

Education mode

Faits

  • The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list.
  • Much of the original crater form has been removed by erosion.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareChicxulub