A meteor hit Oklahoma 100 million years later than scientists thought

ScienceDaily reports that a meteor crater buried beneath Oklahoma has turned out to be nearly 100 million years younger than scientists thought.

Zircon crystals show the Ames impact occurred about 370 million years ago, meaning it was not part of the mysterious Ordovician bombardment once linked to a possible ring of debris around Earth. Instead, the impact coincided closely with a major mass extinction that devastated marine life.

This science story centres on the United States. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Oklahoma, Ames and Ordovician.

Why it matters

Research developments are often early steps — further studies typically determine how significant they prove to be.

Key details

Location

United States · Americas

Reported by

ScienceDaily

First reported

4 Oct 2026, 18:11 IST

Key names

Oklahoma, Ames, Ordovician, Earth

Section

Science

Sources

This is an independent summary. Read the full, original reporting from the publisher:

• ScienceDailyA meteor hit Oklahoma 100 million years later than scientists thought 4 Oct, 18:11

Read the full story at ScienceDaily ↗

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