Geophysics

    

Is the Central Valley of California an Elongated Impact Basin?

Authors: David E. Rutherford

In general, impact craters are circular in shape, but occasionally, they exhibit non-circular forms. One such form is the elongated impact crater. I suggest that the Central Valley of California may be a larger version of an elongated impact crater, an elongated impact basin. Its elongated shape might be the result of a very low angle of impact of one or more celestial objects with the surface of the Earth. The `central' peak (or uplift) of the original basin might be the Sutter Buttes, in the northern part of the Central Valley. In order to support these conclusions, images of lunar impact craters are compared to shaded relief maps of the Central Valley (and surrounding mountains) of California.

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[v1] 2026-06-08 15:29:47

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