Largest Confirmed Impact Craters on Earth

About This Dataset

The largest confirmed meteorite impact structures on Earth ranked by diameter in kilometres according to the Earth Impact Database. The Vredefort Dome in South Africa is the largest confirmed impact structure on Earth with a diameter of approximately 300 km — though much of the original structure has been eroded over its 2-billion-year history.

✨ AI Insight

The vast differences in size among these impact craters highlight a significant gap between the largest and smaller structures. The Vredefort Dome, at 300 km, dwarfs the Sudbury Crater by 50 km, illustrating the immense scale of ancient impacts. Notably, the Chicxulub Crater, while smaller at 180 km, plays a crucial role in Earth's history due to its association with the mass extinction event 66 million years ago. The ages of these craters also suggest that Earth has experienced varying levels of impact activity over geological time, with the oldest craters, like Vredefort and Sudbury, providing insights into the planet's early history and the forces that have shaped its surface.

Source: Earth Impact Database

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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Vredefort (South Africa) leads with 300 in 66 million BCE.

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Average value in 66 million BCE: 180 · median: 180.

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2 billion BCE recorded the highest combined total across all categories.

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Gap in 66 million BCE: Vredefort (South Africa) is 5× larger than Woodleigh (Australia).