[X] My Assistant

[algorimancer]

I was messing about in Google Earth and stumbled upon this feature. Back in my Air Force days I spent ten years in Abilene, TX, and drove past this feature repeatedly in complete oblivion. It appears to be a meteorite impact structure, including a central peak and disruptions to the local streamflows. Geologically this is a region of shale overlaid by a bit of conglomerate and a limestone cap, so it strikes me as unlikely to be a karst feature, though it may conceivably be a salt dome (except I don't think there are any in this region).

http://www.clarkandersen.com/AbileneMeteoriteCrater.jpg

And here's a Google Earth link:

http://www.clarkandersen.com/AbileneMeteoriteCrater.kmz

Seems to be about half a mile across. Hard to believe this hasn't been noticed previously. Naturally, Texas being Texas, it is almost certainly sitting on private ranch land and thus virtually inaccessible. Considering the activity of the oil industry in the area I would not be surprised to find that there's a drill core somewhere or other.

[algorimancer]

Definitely not associated with the Odessa field. I've visited the Odessa crater a few times, it's at least a couple of hours drive to the west.