Meteorite impact structures: the good and the bad

Meteorite impact structures are found on all planetary bodies in the Solar System with a solid surface. On many planets, impact craters are the dominant landform. Earth's active geology, however, tends to rapidly erase impact structures from the geological record, although we know currently of 174 confirmed impact sites. Impact events are destructive and have been linked to at least one of the 'big five' mass extinctions over the past 540 Ma. But they also provide certain economic benefits, including the formation of metalliferous ore deposits and hydrocarbon reservoirs. Impact structures can also form new biological niches, which can provide favourable conditions for the survival and evolution of life. Despite this, it was only in the past 40 years that the importance of impact cratering as a geological process was recognized and only during the past 15–20 years that the study of meteorite impact structures has moved into the geological mainstream. There is, therefore, still considerable potential for new and exciting advancements.