Vredefort Dome

The deeply eroded remains of the largest known impact structure on Earth, a World Heritage Site.

Key facts

Where

near Parys, Free State, South Africa

Kind

Visitor site

Visiting

Open-air site or visitor centre

About 2 billion years ago an asteroid perhaps 10 to 15 kilometres across struck what is now South Africa and made a structure probably around 250 to 300 kilometres across. Erosion has since removed the crater itself, and what survives is the Vredefort Dome, the uplifted centre, a ring of hills around the town of Vredefort and Parys.

Shatter cones, shocked quartz and veins of melted rock found in the area prove the impact. The dome became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, and local guides and visitor centres explain its geology. It is the oldest and largest impact structure known on Earth.

Highlights

• Shatter cones and shocked rock

Related pages

Opening times, what is on display and access to research collections change over time, so check with the institution before you visit.