The Crater Debate
When we encounter the word ‘crater’ what image forms in our mind? The most common response is an impact or meteorite crater, but this type of crater is far rarer than previously thought. The vast majority of craters in our solar system, including those on the Earth and Moon are not impact craters, they are Hydrocraters. This diagram illustrates the formation of a Hydrocrater. Heat from earthquake friction produces underground lava, which moves along fault lines. As it encounters an underground aquifer, water is superheated, creating a phreatic (steam) explosion. The blast opens a funnel-shaped pit called a Hydrocrater. Although modern geology has overlooked many of these craters and their important role in the Earth’s geological formations, we explain their origin in the UM. If we do not understand the geological importance of Hydrocraters, we cannot know how celestial bodies formed.