What is the largest impact crater on Earth called?

The largest impact crater on Earth is the Vredefort Crater, located in South Africa. This crater was formed around two billion years ago by a significant asteroid impact, leading to a structure that spans approximately 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) in diameter, making it the largest known impact structure on the planet.

The significance of the Vredefort Crater also lies in its geological impact. It has influenced the area’s geology and has been a site for scientific research into impact events. The Vredefort Dome, which is part of the crater, has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its unique geological features and the insights it provides into Earth's history.

In comparison, while the Chicxulub Crater is famous for its association with the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, and it is quite large at about 150 kilometers (93 miles) in diameter, it does not surpass the Vredefort Crater in terms of size. The Barringer Crater, also known as Meteor Crater, is much smaller, at about 1.2 kilometers in diameter, and the Tycho Crater is a prominent lunar crater on the Moon, not on Earth.