Impact Craters on Earth with a Diameter of More than 200 km: Numerical Modeling

Abstract The three largest impact craters, the remains of which have been found on Earth to date, had diameters of about 200 km immediately after formation. The search for traces of larger impact structures continues. This paper presents the results of numerical modeling of the formation of terrestrial impact craters larger than those already found. It is shown that the inferred geothermal gradient significantly influences the initial geometry of the impact melt region, which may facilitate the search for the remains of deeply eroded ancient impact structures.