 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2016) |
| Patomskiy crater | |
|---|---|
| Patom crater Kolpakov Cone | |
 View of the Patom Crater from a helicopter (2014) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Coordinates | 59°17′05″N 116°35′22″E / 59.284855°N 116.589332°E |
| Geography | |
  Patomskiy crater Location in Irkutsk Oblast | |
| Location | Patom Highlands Irkutsk Oblast, Russia |
The Patomskiy crater or Patom crater (Russian: Патомский кратер, Patomskiy Krater), also known as Конус Колпакова, Konus Kolpakova "Kolpakov cone")[1] is a peculiar rock formation located in the Bodaibo District of the Irkutsk region of southeastern Siberia, 360 kilometres (220 mi) from the district center Bodaibo.[2] It is a large mound made of shattered limestone blocks on the slopes of the Patom Highlands in an area of dense taiga. Its base diameter is about 160 metres (520 ft) and its height about 40 metres (130 ft); the cone's crown is ring-shaped, and in its center there is a smaller mound with a height of about 12 metres (39 ft). The volume of the crater is estimated as 230,000–250,000 cubic metres (8,100,000–8,800,000 cu ft), with a weight of about one million tons.
The Patomskiy crater was "discovered" (already known to local peoples) in 1949 by Russian geologist Vadim Kolpakov. Its origins have been subject of intense scientific interest, with hypotheses including meteorite, volcanic and gaseous origin, but to date no definite proof has been given. Through dendrochronology, the age of the crater is estimated to be 300 years old.[3]
- ^ "A volcano or a UFO? What created this mysterious Siberian crater?".
- ^ "Scientists have rejected the meteoritic origin patomskiy crater in siberia". mysouth.su. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ Antipin, V. S.; Fedorov, A. M. (December 2008). "The origin of Patom Crater, East Siberia, from geological and geochemical data". Doklady Earth Sciences. 423 (2): 1335–1339. Bibcode:2008DokES.423.1335A. doi:10.1134/S1028334X08090018. S2CID 128949126. Retrieved 11 June 2022.