"Facts" about the Wetumpka Structure

(from King, D.T., Jr., in Neathery et al., 1997)

If the Wetumpka structure was formed by a meteor impact, we might come to the "conclusions" listed below based on the crater's morphology and the age of the rocks that from the crater.

Age: 83 millions years

Diameter: 6.5 km (horseshoe shape)

Estimated original rim height: 210 to 360 m

Possible water cover: 0 to 150 m

Estimated asteroid size: 350 m

Average asteroid velocity: 20 km/sec

Estimated energy release: 4.2 x 10 24 to 4.2 x 10 25 erg (100 to 1000 MT)

Seismic shock-wave magnitude: 8.4 to 9.0

Radius of key peak overpressure(28 kPa; 70 m/sec): 19 to 40 km

Total devastation area: 2,150 to 9,950 km 2

Maximum burn radus for infrared flash: 47 km

Maximum infarared burn area: 7,500 km 2

Tsunami height (if water impact depth of 150 m): 140 to 249 m

Tsunami runup distance for 10 km offshore = 2.9 km (22 m wave)
Tsunami runup distance for 50 km offshore = 0.3 km (4.4 m wave)

Frequency of Wetumpka-scal event or larger: 4 x 10 3 to 1.2 x 10 4 yr -1