Meteor Crater was formed about 50,000 years ago when a bolide (space rock) some 35 meters in diameter smashed into planet Earth with a speed of at least 25,000 miles per hour. A one-mile wide crater resulted on the northern Arizona landscape east of Flagstaff. Here, a group of geologists ascends a small trail from the crater floor. This special hike was led by Drew Barringer of Meteor Crater Enterprises. He is the grandson of David Barringer who first postulated that the hole was formed by an impact (the floor of Meteor Crater is closed to the public). (Photo and caption by Wayne Ranney)
Photographer: Wayne Ranney
Photo Date: December 2010
Photo Location Accuracy: Known Location
Photo Tags: Meteor Crater, bolide, meteorite, Holocene, Natural hazard, geotourism, geologic hazard 
