Wells Creek is an

impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...

located near

Cumberland City, Tennessee Cumberland City is a town in Stewart County, Tennessee. The population was 311 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Clarksville, TN — Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. Cumberland City is the site of a TVA Cumberland Fossil Plant along ...

. It is in

diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest chord of the circle. Both definitions are also valid fo ...

and the age is estimated to be (million years old), placing it in the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

or a neighboring period. The crater is exposed to the surface. The center of the crater contains some of the finest

shatter cone Shatter cones are rare geological features that are only known to form in the bedrock beneath meteorite impact craters or underground nuclear explosions. They are evidence that the rock has been subjected to a shock with pressures in the rang ...

s in the world. Many have been collected and are on display around the world.

Gallery

References

External links

Wells Creek Crater
at Tennessee Landforms
Wells Creek Impact Structure
at Crater Explorer Impact craters of the United States Mesozoic impact craters Landforms of Houston County, Tennessee Landforms of Stewart County, Tennessee {{Earth-crater-stub