Discovery of South China's First Meteorite Crater in Zhaoqing Fills Research Gap

On October 15, 2025, the international journal Matter and Radiation at Extremes published the research results of Researcher Chen Ming's team, officially confirming the discovery of the Jinlin Meteorite Crater in Deqing County, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province. This is China's fifth and South China's first scientifically confirmed meteorite crater, filling the research gap on meteorite craters in South China. The Jinlin Meteorite Crater is located in the low mountain and hilly area beside Jinlin Water Town in Deqing County, situated in the Tropic of Cancer oasis zone. It lies on a granite mountain at an altitude of 630 meters, shaped like a slightly elliptical bowl, with a northeast-southwest diameter of about 900 meters, a northwest-southeast diameter of about 820 meters, and a depth of approximately 90 meters. The research team discovered planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz fragments at the crater bottom, which are unique traces of high-pressure shock waves caused by meteorite impacts, serving as decisive evidence for the impact origin of the crater. It is estimated that the impact event occurred in the early to middle Holocene, making it a relatively young impact structure. Visitors can experience the wonders of nature here and enjoy the excitement of exploring the unknown. In the future, this site may become a new hotspot for geological science popularization, tourism, and research. Come check in and witness this geological marvel!