Hickman
Key facts
- Country
- Australia
- Diameter
- 260 m
- Age
- between about 10,000 and 100,000 years
- Location
- 23.04° S, 119.68° E
A round bowl about 260 m across and 30 m deep in the rocky Ophthalmia Range of the Pilbara, Western Australia, about 35 km north of Newman.
Hickman is a meteorite crater about 260 m across and 30 m deep in the Ophthalmia Range of the Pilbara, Western Australia, north of the mining town of Newman.
Discovery. In July 2007 Arthur Hickman, a geologist with the Geological Survey of Western Australia, spotted the crater while browsing satellite images on a computer. The discovery was reported in 2008, and the crater was named after him.
The meteorite. Drilling in 2012 and later studies showed that the crater was made by an iron meteorite, estimated to have been about 10 to 15 m across before it struck.
What it hit. The meteorite struck hard, ancient rocks of the Pilbara, more than 2 billion years old.
Age. The crater's fresh shape suggests it is young. Its age is estimated at between about 10,000 and 100,000 years; recent research suggests about 50,000 years.
Why it matters. Hickman shows that even well-preserved craters can go unnoticed until someone looks closely at satellite images, and that the hunt for new craters is open to anyone.
Visiting. The crater is in a remote area close to iron-ore mines. Access may be restricted; check before travelling.
Did you know?
Hickman was discovered in 2007 by a geologist browsing satellite images.
It was made by an iron meteorite perhaps 10 to 15 m across.
It may be about 50,000 years old.