Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: Nye, C. via USGS
Savonoski Crater is a 1,600-foot-wide hole in Alaska that looks like a meteorite impact site—but no space rock has ever been found.
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Despite its striking shape, there are no traces of meteoritic debris or shocked rocks, ruling out a confirmed space impact.
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Some scientists believe it’s a volcanic maar, but there are no known magma vents in the area, making this theory just as mysterious.
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Glaciers swept across the region between 23,000 and 14,700 years ago, possibly wiping away key evidence of how the crater formed.
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Unlike other craters, Savonoski has no surrounding debris, making it even harder to classify as either volcanic or impact-related.
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The last major scientific study on the crater was in 1978, leaving its origins largely untouched by modern technology.
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Scientists suggest that drilling into the crater could finally reveal whether it was caused by an impact, explosion, or something unknown.
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Nearby craters, like Alaska’s Ukinrek Maars, have volcanic origins—but Savonoski doesn’t match their geological patterns.
Credit: Alaska Volcano Observatory
With no conclusive evidence, some experts believe an unknown process may have created this bizarre, unexplained formation.
Credit: Alaska Volcano Observatory