Magnetic and seismic reflection study of Lake Cheko, a possible impact crater for the 1908 Tunguska Event
A major explosion occurred on 30 June 1908 in the Tunguska region of Siberia, causing the destruction of over 2,000 square km of taiga; pressure and seismic waves detected as far as 1,000 km away; bright luminescence in the night skies of Northern Europe and Central Asia; and other unusual phenomena...
Published in: | Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Geophysical Union
2012
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2122/8039 https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004054 |
Summary: | A major explosion occurred on 30 June 1908 in the Tunguska region of Siberia, causing the destruction of over 2,000 square km of taiga; pressure and seismic waves detected as far as 1,000 km away; bright luminescence in the night skies of Northern Europe and Central Asia; and other unusual phenomena. This “Tunguska Event” is probably related to the impact with the Earth of a cosmic body that exploded about 5-10 km above ground, releasing in the atmosphere 10-15 Mton of energy. Fragments of the impacting body have never been found, and its nature (comet or asteroid) is still a matter of debate. We report here results from a magnetic and seismic-reflection study of a small (~500 m diameter) lake, Lake Cheko, located about 8 km NW of the inferred explosion epicenter, that was proposed to be an impact crater left by a fragment of the Tunguska Cosmic Body. Seismic-reflection and magnetic data revealed a P-wave velocity/magnetic anomaly close to the lake center, about 10 m below the lake floor; this anomaly is compatible with the presence of a buried stony object and supports the impact crater origin for Lake Cheko. Published Q05008 3.4. Geomagnetismo JCR Journal restricted |
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