Newest impact crater on Earth

The most recent impact crater formed on Earth is the 14.2-metre (46-foot 7-inch) depression in a dry riverbed near the town of Carancas, south of Lake Titicaca, in Peru, created by a chrondrite (stony meteorite) that struck on 15 September 2007. The Carancas crater was measured to be at least 3.5 metres (11 feet 5 inches) deep.

The meteorite hit the ground in the Puno region south of Carancas, at W69.0441°/S16.6645°.

Estimates of the bolide's original size vary, but it could have been as large as 6–10 tonnes (13,227–22,046 pounds) when it entered Earth’s atmosphere. This mass would have broken up as it passed through the atmosphere. The remaining chunk of rock that struck the ground is estimated to have had a a diameter of about 1 metre (3 feet 3 inches) and been moving at a velocity of between 1,500 and 15,000 km/h (932–9,320 mph), though this is also widely debated by meteorologists.

In the 15–30 minutes following impact, the crater filled with water, owing to the area's shallow water table. This was reported by locals to bubble initially – most likely the result of air trapped and compressed by the collision.