Geologists search for evidence of a falling meteorite that would have shaped the Casamance landscape
On February 4, 2025, as part of the “Rendez-vous du mardi” series organized by IRD, David Baratoux, a French geologist working in Senegal, gave a 15-minute presentation (in French) on his and his colleagues’ work on a particular geological structure. Will they find evidence of a meteorite falling in Casamance?
Asteroid collisions on the Earth’s surface have contributed to the evolution of our planet, its climate and biosphere. The traces of these planetary accidents, known as impact structures, are destroyed over time.
Objective: drilling
A Franco-Senegalese team is investigating the origin of a structure that could join the 20 impact structures identified to date on the African continent. Indeed, the Anambé basin (40 kilometers in diameter) could well be a major impact structure located in Casamance. Unfortunately, it is buried under a layer of sediment.
A geophysical campaign carried out in 2023 revealed a circular density anomaly compatible with a meteorite origin. The scientific team’s objective is to drill into this depression, as only a borehole reaching the rocks affected by the impact could provide the proof sought.
This site with its exceptional landscapes could then become a geotourism site, promoting scientific culture, accompanied by a local economic development project.
This article is an adaptation of the one published on the African Initiative for Planetary and Space Sciences website.
