Large meteorite impact craters on the Earth are rare at best, and only Tunguska in Siberia is known to be less than 10,000 years old. However, there is strong evidence that a large meteorite (est. over 100 meters in diameter) struck in South America (Argentina) in the very recent past, possibly within the last 2000 years. At present this crater is virtually unknown to both the public and the scientific community but knowledge of it's existence is bound to spread rapidly. If this impact was caused by a bolide bigger than Tunguska and the crater is better preserved than Meteor Crater, the scientific implications will be startling. This award will enable the PI to visit the site this Fall where he and his local collaborators plan to conduct field investigations, collect samples and do some preliminary analysis.
