List of impact craters in South America


This list includes all 11 confirmed impact craters in South America as listed in the Earth Impact Database. These features were caused by the collision of large meteorites or comets with the Earth. For eroded or buried craters, the stated diameter typically refers to an estimate of original rim diameter, and may not correspond to present surface features.

Confirmed impact craters

NameLocationDiameterAge Coordinates
AraguainhaBrazil40 km244.40 ± 3.25 million
Campo del CieloArgentina0.05 km< 4000
CarancasPeru0.0135 km10
ColôniaBrazil3.6 km>5,<36
MonturaquiChile0.46 km< 1 million
Riachão RingBrazil4.5 km< 200 million
Rio CuartoArgentina4.5 km < 100,000
Santa MartaBrazil10 km66-100
Serra da CangalhaBrazil12 km< 300 million
Vargeão DomeBrazil12 km< 70 million
Vista AlegreBrazil9.5 km< 65 million

Unconfirmed impact craters

The following craters are officially considered "unconfirmed" because they are not listed in the Earth Impact Database. Due to stringent requirements regarding evidence and peer-reviewed publication, newly discovered craters or those with difficulty collecting evidence generally are known for some time before becoming listed. However, entries on the unconfirmed list could still have an impact origin disproven.
NameLocationDiameterAgeCoordinates
Cerro do Jarau craterBrazil?
IturraldeBolivia11-30 thousand
Piratininga craterParaná Basin, Brazil117 million
Praia GrandeSantos Basin, Brazil
Vichada StructureColombia30 million