View source for Goat Paddock crater

{{Short description|Impact crater in Western Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox terrestrial impact site
| name = Goat Paddock crater
| other_name = 
| photo = Goat Paddock Western Australia.jpg
| photo_size = 
| photo_alt = 
| photo_caption = [[Landsat]] image of the Goat Paddock crater (circular feature in centre); screen capture from the [[NASA World Wind]] program
| map = Western Australia
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location of the crater in Western Australia
| map_size = 
| location = [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley Region]]
| label =
| label_position = 
| coordinates = {{coord|18|20|S|126|40|E|region:AU-WA_type:landmark_scale:50000|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = 
| confidence = Confirmed
| diameter = {{convert|5.1|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| depth = 
| rise =
| imp_size =
| age = <50 Ma<br>[[Eocene]]
| exposed = Yes
| drilled = No
| bolide = 
| translation =
| language =
| pronunciation =
| topo = 
| access = 
| country = [[Australia]]
| state = [[Western Australia]]
| province =
| district = 
| municipality = 
}}
'''Goat Paddock''' is a 5&nbsp;km-diameter near-circular bowl-shaped depression in a range of gently dipping [[Proterozoic]] [[sandstone]] in  the [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley Region]] of northern [[Western Australia]], 106&nbsp;km west-southwest of [[Halls Creek, Western Australia|Halls Creek]]. It is interpreted  as an ancient [[meteorite]] [[impact crater]], the evidence including [[breccia]] containing melted rocks, silica glass, [[shatter cone]]s and [[shocked quartz]].<ref name="Harms_1980">Harms J.E., Milton D.J., Ferguson J., Gilbert D.J., Harris W.K. & Goleby B. 1980. Goat Paddock cryptoexplosion crater, Western Australia. Nature 286, 704–706. [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v286/n5774/abs/286704a0.html Abstract]</ref><ref name="Milton_2005">Milton D.J. & Macdonald F.A. 2005. Goat Paddock, Western Australia: an impact crater near the simple – complex transition. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 52, 691–698. [http://journalsonline.tandf.co.uk/link.asp?id=k548v736q175081g Abstract]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite Earth Impact DB | name = Goat Paddock|linkname = goat-paddock| accessdate = 2009-08-19}}</ref> Drilling shows that the crater is filled with about 200 m of ancient lake sediments containing Early [[Eocene]] pollen, this age thus giving a minimum estimate for the age of the crater itself.<ref name="Harms_1980"/> The crater is not perfectly circular, but slightly elongated in a north–south direction, suggesting that the projectile struck at low angle from either the north or south.

<gallery class="center">
File:Goat Paddock Western Australia oblique.jpg|Oblique [[Landsat]] image draped over digital elevation data (x3 vertical exaggeration), Goat Paddock crater (circular feature in centre); screen capture from the [[NASA World Wind]] program
File:Goat Paddock Crater.jpg|The crater can be seen at the centre of this image
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Milton, D. J., Ferguson, J. and Fudali, R.F., Goat Paddock impact crater, Western Australia (abstract). Meteoritics, v. 15, p.&nbsp;333. 1980

{{Impact cratering on Earth}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goat Paddock Crater}}
[[Category:Impact craters of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Eocene impact craters]]
[[Category:Eocene Australia]]


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