Mocobizscene- It was without a doubt the most catastrophic natural calamity to ever strike Alabama. The energy unleashed by the impact was 175 thousand times that of the atomic bomb that obliterated Hiroshima. Present day, remnants of this catastrophic event remain visible on the Alabama terrain.
This catastrophe has struck Wetumpka, Alabama, a small community that marks the epicenter. It is one of only 157 of its kind in the world and the only one of its kind known to have occurred in Alabama. However, this event occurred long before the state of Alabama even existed.
Since the region presently referred to as Wetumpka and Elmore County was submerged in a shallow ancient ocean more than 80 million years ago, scientists hypothesize that an asteroid with a diameter exceeding 1,000 feet struck the area. It produced an enormous crater that is still visible today. The Inocense is called the Wetumpka Impact Crater.
The semi-bowl-shaped terrain bordered by a crescent-shaped line of hills is visible from US Highway 231 or Alabama Highway 14 as one approaches Wetumpka. These remnants of the ancient asteroid crater have a diameter ranging from 4.7 to 6 miles. The crater’s periphery attains an elevation of 300 feet relative to the river plains that encircle it. Presently, the highest point on the lip of the crater is referred to as Bald Knob.
In 1976, the peculiar land formation was initially hypothesized to be a bygone impact crater. Geologist Thornton L. Neathery and his colleagues from the Geological Survey of Alabama named the feature the Wetumpka Astrobleme in a scientific paper they published at that time. Their discoveries were validated in 1999, upon the return of Neathery accompanied by Auburn geologist David T. King.
Samples obtained from a 630-foot-deep drilling operation in the crater’s center confirmed that the region in question had been the target of a tremendous celestial impact. The findings of Auburn researchers, which were published in 2002, garnered the crater international recognition. Click here to learn more about the Auburn study.
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