Thus the studies of Lonar Crater will benefit all of mankind. Lonar Crater should be declared as a world heritage site and should be nominated accordingly without any delays.
The Lonar Crater is one of the most remarkable geological sites on Earth, virtually not many in the world have heard of the place, a long ten hour drive from one of the most populated cities in the world. Lonar Crater is the only crater in the world, one to have formed in a cataclysmic impact on a bed of basalt rock. This basalt was laid down 65 million years ago during the eruption of the Deccan traps, about the same time as the dinosaurs became extinct. Some think that this eruption also played a major role in the extinction event.
Contrary to popular belief, Lonar Crater, India is not the only terrestrial impact crater emplaced into basalt rocks. It is not the youngest crater. It is not the largest, or smallest. But it is PRESERVED. Three other craters in basalt are tens of millions of years old, while Lonar Crater is just ~500,000 (or “half a million years old”). Recent measurements estimate the crater to be about 500,000 to 600,000 years old and not 52,000 as originally thought. This age agrees with the back-wasting (erosion) of the crater rim, which has enlarged the crater by about 50 meters, along with ~5 meter gullies incised into the eastern and western ejecta blankets. For these two features to occur, it takes TIME, and 50,000 years is likely not enough time for these features to develop.
Due to the specialness of Lonar, it needs to be CONSERVED by man. The ejecta, including the rare top layer, should not be farmed, cultivated, or destroyed by man. Also, no buildings should be constructed and no unnatural water should be allowed to carve streams/channels into the ejecta.
The impactor that produced the Lonar Crater is not known. It is likely that an iron meteorite or ordinary chondrite produced Lonar, all remnants of the impactor have been physically and chemically eroded and destroyed.
It is suggested by a great number of professional geologists from around the world that 500 meters from the Lonar Crater rim (called “ejecta”) be preserved in its natural state.This only excludes the town of Lonar in the east/northeast.
The Lonar crater and its precincts have been suffering from dereliction and serious neglect in recent times. The situation is substantially ascribed to the limited appreciation about the importance of the scientific, ecological and cultural heritage of the Lonar craterCrater. Although many undesirable interventions could have been avoided, fortunately the situation is not bad enough to be reversed. The crater scientific values and ecosystem can retain its unique character with immediate controls put in place through an integrated plan.
The Lonar Crater is the world's heritage and should be declared as world heritage. Its recognition as world heritage status would aid the continuous conservation and management.