Korea’s first special exhibition containing traces from 50,000 years ago
Panoramic view of the Hapcheon meteorite impact crater special exhibition exhibition/provided by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources
[투데이에너지 신영균 기자] The Geological Museum of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources will hold the ‘Hapcheon Meteorite Impact Crater Special Exhibition’, the first in Korea, to show traces of a meteorite impact 50,000 years ago, until March 3, 2024. This special exhibition was planned by gathering evidence of the formation background and research process of the ‘Hapcheon Meteorite Crater’, which is said to be the first on the Korean Peninsula and the second in East Asia.
Centering on the various evidence discovered at the Hapcheon meteorite impact site, physical samples of drill cores obtained during drilling work to understand the underground cross-section of the meteorite impact are on display. In particular, impact breccias, which are created by piling up rocks shattered by the powerful impact generated during a meteorite impact, can be observed directly under a microscope, and an exhibition area has also been set up where the three-dimensional shape of the Hapcheon meteorite impact crater can be observed in a 3D model.
This exhibition also introduces research cases from the Chicxulub crater at the end of the Cretaceous period. In addition, you can see small celestial body tracking and asteroid orbit change experiments that show the serious environmental changes and mass extinctions caused by meteorite impacts and the various efforts humanity has made to avoid the risk of meteorite impacts. For reference, a small celestial body is a celestial body in the solar system that is smaller than a planet or dwarf planet and is not a satellite.
Lee Hang-jae, director of the Geological Museum, said, “I am happy to be able to hold a special exhibition that can inform the public and future science enthusiasts of scientific knowledge about the first meteorite impact crater on the Korean Peninsula. “I hope this will be an opportunity to learn about and experience the mystery of meteorite craters and various scientific evidence as we welcome the end of the year and the new year,” he said.
Lee Pyeong-gu, director of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, said, “I am very happy to be able to introduce the Chogye Basin, the first meteorite impact crater on the Korean Peninsula, to the general public in a more easy and friendly way, which has been a long-awaited dream of the domestic geology community. “I hope that you will have a warm winter and meaningful learning and experience at the Geological Museum, which can be visited at any time by all ages,” he said.
Copyright © Today Energy. Reproduction and redistribution prohibited.
