Tookoonooka crater

Tookoonooka is a large meteorite impact crater (astrobleme) situated in South West Queensland, Australia. It lies deeply buried within Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Eromanga Basin and is not visible at the surface.[1]

Tookoonooka was discovered using seismic data collected during routine petroleum exploration and first reported in a publication in 1989,[2] with proof of the impact theory coming from the discovery of shocked quartz in drill core.[3] Estimates of the crater diameter range from 55 km (34 mi) to 66 km (41 mi).[2][3] The impact occurred during deposition of the Cretaceous Cadna-owie Formation, the age of which is variously estimated at being between 123–133 Ma,[2][3] or 115–112 Ma.[4] Tookoonooka is associated with several small oil fields.[4]

The seismic data reveal a similar nearby structure of the same age referred to as Talundilly.[3][4][5] Although it seems likely that Tookoonooka and Talundilly are paired impact craters, proof that the latter is of impact origin is not possible without drilling.

References

  1. ↑ "Tookoonooka". Earth Impact Database. University of New Brunswick. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
  2. 1 2 3 Gorter J.D., Gostin V.A. & Plummer P. 1989. The Tookoonooka Structure: an enigmatic sub-surface feature in the Eromanga Basin, its impact origin and implications for petroleum exploration. In: O’Neil B.J. (editor) The Cooper and Eromanga Basins, Australia: Proceedings of the Cooper and Eromanga Basins Conference, Adelaide, 1989, pp. 441–456. Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SA Branches).
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gostin V.A. & Therriault A.M. 1997. Tookoonooka, a large buried Early Cretaceous impact structure in the Eromanga Basin of southwestern Queensland, Australia. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 32, 593–599. Abstract and full PDF
  4. 1 2 3 Gorter J.D. 1998. The petroleum potential of Australian Phanerozoic impact structures. APPEA Journal 38, 159–187.
  5. ↑ Longley I.M. 1989. The Talundilly anomaly and its implications for hydrocarbon exploration of Eromanga astroblemes. In: O’Neil B.J. (editor) The Cooper and Eromanga Basins, Australia: Proceedings of the Cooper and Eromanga Basins Conference, Adelaide, 1989, pp. 473–490. Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SA Branches)

Coordinates: 27°7′S 142°50′E / 27.117°S 142.833°E / -27.117; 142.833

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