NAU Offers Unique Meteor Crater Course for Planetary Science Students

Exploring Earth’s Ancient Impact Crater: A Unique Educational Opportunity

For those aspiring to study Martian craters without venturing into space, the Meteor Crater in Arizona offers an unparalleled opportunity. This site, struck by a meteor approximately 50,000 years ago, stands as one of the most well-preserved impact craters on Earth.

Located a short drive from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, the crater serves as a practical classroom for planetary science students. The course, titled Impact Cratering @ Meteor Crater, is the brainchild of Mark Salvatore, an associate professor in NAU’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science. This semester, Salvatore is joined by assistant research professor Alicia Rutledge in teaching the course.

“We in the Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science have modernized our undergraduate curriculum to provide students with the most modern skills, real-world experiences and unparalleled access to state-of-the-art equipment and unique planetary analog sites,” Salvatore said. “This class provides students with direct access to one of northern Arizona’s most impressive natural wonders. This is an opportunity that is not currently available to any other academic program in the world.”

The course involves multiple excursions to the crater, offering students the chance to closely examine its geological features. They study the stratified layers of rock and soil, analyze the distribution of shocked materials, and observe the boulders ejected during the impact event. By the course’s end, students gain a comprehensive understanding of crater identification on other planets and the transformative power of large impacts on planetary landscapes.

The success of this course owes much to the collaboration with the Barringer Crater Company and Meteor Crater Enterprises, who provide access to the crater for Salvatore, Rutledge, and their students.

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