The ancient meteor impact that formed Arizona's Barringer Crater sent shock waves through the Grand Canyon — likely triggering a landslide that dammed the Colorado River, a new study suggests.
Barringer Crater, also called Meteor Crater, formed between 53,000 and 63,000 years ago, when a giant cosmic "curveball" punched a hole in Earth's surface. The force of the impact traveled more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the Grand Canyon, which may have caused an entire cliff face to collapse into the river, scientists have found.
