Talemzane crater

Talemzane or madena (Tamazight: ⵜⴰⵍⴻⵎⵣⴰⵏ Arabic: تالمزان/مادنة) is an impact crater in Algeria, 40 km south-east of Hassi Delaa (a small city).^[1]

Talemzane crater
Landsat image of the Talemzane crater; screen capture from NASA World Wind
Impact crater/structure
Confidence	Confirmed
Diameter	1.75 km (1.09 mi)
Age	<3 Ma Piacenzian
Exposed	No
Drilled	Yes
Location
Location	Sahara
Coordinates	33°18′54″N 4°2′7″E
Country	Algeria
State	Laghouat Province
Location of the crater in Algeria

Oblique Landsat image of Talemzane crater draped over digital elevation model (x3 vertical exaggeration); screen capture from NASA World Wind

One of four such craters in the country, Talemzane is classified as a simple crater. It has been designated by the 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference to be a two-million- year-old, "true meteorite crater."^[2]

The crater was explored for the first time in 1928 and studied in 1950 and 1988 by researchers from the universities of Oran (Algeria) and Nice (France). It is 1.75 km in diameter and the age is estimated to be less than three million years and is probably Pliocene.

The name Maadna come from Arabic for "depression of ore."^[2]

See also

• Geology portal

• List of impact craters in Africa