Lonar Crater
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World / India / Maharashtra / Buldana
impact crater
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Lonar crater is Asia's NINTH Largest Crater and India's magnificent hyper-velocity meteorite-impact crater.
Diameter: about 2 KMs
Depth: about 800Feet
Situated on the outskirts of Loanar town in Buldhana District, the Lonar Crater was first discovered in 1823 by British officer, J.E. Alexander. It is also written about in ancient scripts like the Skanda Puran, the Padma Puran and the Aaina-i-Akbari.
Lonar is distinguished by the fact that it is the world's third largest crater. It has its genesis nearly 50,000 years ago, when a 2 million-ton meteorite impacted the earth to create a depression 1.83 kilometers in diameter and 150 meters deep.
Since that cataclysmic event, Lonar has evolved into an idyllic expanse of sky blue water amidst a sprawling emerald forest that stretches around it as far as the eye can see. Today, it attracts casual tourists as well as members of the scientific community from across the world, including research agencies like the Smithsonian Institution of Washington DC, the US Geological Survey, the Geological Society of India, and Sagar University, Jabalpur, and Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, which have conducted extensive studies about the site.
But, the scientific angle aside, this destination also has much to offer wildlife enthusiasts as it is generously endowed in both flora and fauna. The crater is home to hundreds of peafowl, chinkara and gazelles, which browse amongst the shrubs and bushes ringing the lake. Other residents include egrets, moor hens, herons, coots, white-necked storks, lapwings, grey wagtails, grebes, black droungos, green bee-eaters, tailorbirds, magpies and robins - as well as numerous species of migratory birds that often visit the place.
Lonar impresses with the richness of its natural heritage. And, like the meteorite that put it on the map, leaves a lasting impression
And its age is estimated to be 52,000 ± 6,000 years. It is the largest impact crater in Lonar crater is situated around 550 km from Mumbai, 160 km from Aurangabad and 140 km from Buldhana. It is about 4½ hours drive southeast of the famous Ajanta Caves. The nearest railway station is Malkapur on Bhusaval-Nagpur Section of SC Railway.basaltic rock and is partially filled by a salt water lake.
Lonar crater is an important geological structure. This crater formed in basalt rock of the Deccan plateau some 35 to 50 thousand years is only of its kind. Though now it is declared as an impact crater, from 1823 when J. E. Alexander pointed out the crater, for almost a century and half the exact type of its origin was a debatable issue. Initially it was thought to be a volcanic crater. In fact, the famous geologist G.K. Gilbert in 1896 showed its similarity with the Meteor crater (Barringer crater), Arizona.
One Request: Do not throw plastic or such hazardous waste into the lake, try to pick up thrown waste and deposit it outside the crater, this is just a request, the government will not do anything for the crater, the politicians are busy cheating and 100s of Crores! Pl. help save a natural wonder! Thanks for reading.
Diameter: about 2 KMs
Depth: about 800Feet
Situated on the outskirts of Loanar town in Buldhana District, the Lonar Crater was first discovered in 1823 by British officer, J.E. Alexander. It is also written about in ancient scripts like the Skanda Puran, the Padma Puran and the Aaina-i-Akbari.
Lonar is distinguished by the fact that it is the world's third largest crater. It has its genesis nearly 50,000 years ago, when a 2 million-ton meteorite impacted the earth to create a depression 1.83 kilometers in diameter and 150 meters deep.
Since that cataclysmic event, Lonar has evolved into an idyllic expanse of sky blue water amidst a sprawling emerald forest that stretches around it as far as the eye can see. Today, it attracts casual tourists as well as members of the scientific community from across the world, including research agencies like the Smithsonian Institution of Washington DC, the US Geological Survey, the Geological Society of India, and Sagar University, Jabalpur, and Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, which have conducted extensive studies about the site.
But, the scientific angle aside, this destination also has much to offer wildlife enthusiasts as it is generously endowed in both flora and fauna. The crater is home to hundreds of peafowl, chinkara and gazelles, which browse amongst the shrubs and bushes ringing the lake. Other residents include egrets, moor hens, herons, coots, white-necked storks, lapwings, grey wagtails, grebes, black droungos, green bee-eaters, tailorbirds, magpies and robins - as well as numerous species of migratory birds that often visit the place.
Lonar impresses with the richness of its natural heritage. And, like the meteorite that put it on the map, leaves a lasting impression
And its age is estimated to be 52,000 ± 6,000 years. It is the largest impact crater in Lonar crater is situated around 550 km from Mumbai, 160 km from Aurangabad and 140 km from Buldhana. It is about 4½ hours drive southeast of the famous Ajanta Caves. The nearest railway station is Malkapur on Bhusaval-Nagpur Section of SC Railway.basaltic rock and is partially filled by a salt water lake.
Lonar crater is an important geological structure. This crater formed in basalt rock of the Deccan plateau some 35 to 50 thousand years is only of its kind. Though now it is declared as an impact crater, from 1823 when J. E. Alexander pointed out the crater, for almost a century and half the exact type of its origin was a debatable issue. Initially it was thought to be a volcanic crater. In fact, the famous geologist G.K. Gilbert in 1896 showed its similarity with the Meteor crater (Barringer crater), Arizona.
One Request: Do not throw plastic or such hazardous waste into the lake, try to pick up thrown waste and deposit it outside the crater, this is just a request, the government will not do anything for the crater, the politicians are busy cheating and 100s of Crores! Pl. help save a natural wonder! Thanks for reading.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonar_crater_Buldhana_Maharashtra_India
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 19°58'38"N 76°30'29"E
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