Talemzane crater

Talemzane crater
Landsat image of the Talemzane crater; screen capture from NASA World Wind
Impact crater/structure
ConfidenceConfirmed
Diameter1.75 km (1.09 mi)
Age<3 Ma
Piacenzian
ExposedNo
DrilledYes
Location
LocationSahara
Coordinates33°18′54″N 4°2′7″E / 33.31500°N 4.03528°E / 33.31500; 4.03528
CountryAlgeria
StateLaghouat Province
Location of the crater in Algeria

Talemzane or madena (Tamazight: ⵜⴰⵍⴻⵎⵣⴰⵏ Arabic: تالمزان/مادنة) is an impact crater in Algeria, 40 km south-east of Hassi Delaa (a small city).[1] The Arabic name of the crater is "Maadna" and means "depression of ore."[2]

The Talemzane crater has a diameter of 1.75 km. As such, it is classified as a "simple crater" (meaning a diameter of less than 2 km). It is one of two simple craters in Algeria's Saharan Platform. According to estimates, the crater formed between 203,000 and 3 million years ago.[2] The crater was explored for the first time in 1928 and studied in 1950 and 1988 by researchers from the universities of Oran (Algeria) and Nice (France).

See also

References

  1. ^ "Talemzane". Earth Impact Database. Planetary and Space Science Centre University of New Brunswick Fredericton. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
  2. ^ a b Belhai, D. (2012). "New Studies About the Maadna Impact Crater" (PDF). 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 32: 1111 – via Universities Space Research Association.

Further reading

  • Karpoff, R., A "meteorite" crater at Talemzane in southern Algeria, with discussion (in French). International Geological Congress, 19th, Algiers, pp. 233–241. 1954
  • Karpoff, R., The meteorite crater of Talemzane in southern Algeria. Meteoritics, v. 1, pp. 31–38. 1953
  • Koeberl, C., African meteorite impact craters: Characteristics and geological importance. Journal of African Sciences, v. 18, pp. 263–295. 1994
  • Lambert, P., McHone, J.F. Jr., Dietz, R.S. and Houfani, M., Impact and impact-like structures in Algeria. Part I. Four bowl-shaped depressions. Meteoritics, v. 15, pp. 157–179. 1980
  • Lambert, P., McHone, J.F. Jr., Dietz, R.S., Djender, M. and Briedj, M., Multi-ringed structures in Algeria: Ancient impact craters or not? (abstract). International Geological Congress, 26th, Paris, France, v. 3, pp. 1248. 1980
  • McHone, J. F. Jr., Greeley, R., Talemzane: Algerian impact crater detected on SIR-A orbital imaging radar. Meteoritics, v. 22, pp. 253–264. 1987
  • McHone, J. F. Jr., Lambert, P., Dietz, R.S. and Houfani, M., Bowl-shaped impact craters and circular depressions in Algeria (abstract). International Geological Congress, 26th, Paris, France, v. 3, p. 1250. 1980
  • McHone, J. F. Jr., Lambert, P., Dietz, R.S. and Briedj, M., Impact structures in Algeria (abstract). Meteoritics, v. 15, pp. 331–332. 1980