KOCHI: It took them four years. But researchers from the geology department of Kerala University have hit paydirt - all, as science calls it, melt-rocks, which are parts of a
meteorite
. The site is the hamlet of Luna, in Kutch, Gujarat.
Radiocarbon dating of these melt-rocks show the meteorite impact may have happened around 6,900 years ago, roughly the period the
Indus Valley civilization
was flourishing in this area.
The intriguing question for researchers, and many academics, is whether the meteorite had any impact on Indus Valley. The impact location is 200 km away from the famous Indus Valley site of Dholavira.
"Luna is the impact site but the famous
Indus Valley excavation site
is about 200 km away. There's a 2 km crater in the place and the meteor that impacted must be about 200-400 m in diameter," Kerala University assistant professor Sajin Kumar KS said.
He added: "We have always discussed plant and animal extinction due to a meteorite impact but not impact on humans. So, this is a study in that direction, to look at human civilization possibly being wiped out by a meteorite."
A recent study reported in 'Planetary and Space Science' had confirmed the existence of a 1.88 km-diameter crater formed by the impact of an approximately 200m-diameter iron meteorite in Luna.
The Luna sample contains
high-temperature minerals
like wustite, kirschsteinite, ulvospinel and hercynite.
With the confirmation of meteorite impact, Luna will have the distinction of being the fourth impact-crater identified in India. It also becomes, agewise the youngest, and geologically the most recent crater to be identified. Other meteorite craters in India are in Dhala in Madhya Pradesh, Ramgarh in Rajasthan and Lonar in the state of Maharashtra.
A crater formed by a meteorite is more than 10-20 times the size of the actual meteor. The Kerala university team dug a 1-metre trench and found the samples at around 10 cm depth, an indicator that it is a young crater. "This is an active Indus river stretch; thus sediments from several rivers have flown in this area. That we found the sample in such a small depth is an indicator of its young age," Sajin Kumar said.
"We went around four times to collect samples from the area. It's very tough to get samples because of its marshy terrain. But in July 2022, we got lucky. We could get dry sediment samples for testing," Sajin Kumar added.
"Luna has been rumoured to be an impact-crater. But a huge round depression in the earth doesn't necessarily mean it's a meteor impact. There are similar volcano craters. There was no evidence. This was one geological conundrum that we could solve," Sajin Kumar said.
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