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Diamantina River ring feature

The Diamantina River ring feature is a geomorphic feature that consists of a conspicuous near-360° circular drainage pattern that forms the headwaters of the Diamantina River. It is centred near the Woodstock Station west of Winton, Channel Country, Central West Queensland. This geomorphic feature coincides with a potassium–thorium–uranium radiometric signature that is associated with exposed clay-rich sedimentary rocks of the Cretaceous Winton Formation, high-uranium elevated Cenozoic duricrust surfaces, and high-thorium elevated sediment eroded from the Cenozoic weathering profile. The Diamantina River ring feature is one of several circular crustal structures of diverse origin that have been mapped within Australia. These circular crustal structures include geologic structures such as tectonic domes, circular granite intrusions, volcanic calderas and ring structures, salt domes, impact structures and morphological drainage rings of unknown origin.

Name
This geomorphic feature has been given numerous names. In his discussions of its origin, Glikson refers to it in nongeneric terms as the Diamantina River ring feature. refers to it as the Winton crater and Donchak refers to the Woodstock-Winton circular drainage ring in a map caption in reference to the Diamantina River's course. == Impact hypothesis ==
Impact hypothesis
impact structure. Scientists from Geoscience Australia have proposed that this feature is associated with an impact event that happened about 300 million years ago. . The Diamantina River's hook-shaped upper reaches had long been a puzzle to science. To Andrew Glikson, whose research interests include "early crustal evolution with focus on the role of asteroid impacts", the near-circular course was the first indication that there might be an anomaly in the crust in this region. Glikson's research into the matter revealed several noteworthy things about this circular area. whereas Geoscience Australia says in its own report, somewhat more conservatively, that the depth will have to be "many hundreds of metres". The impact event is, as of this writing, only theoretical. Its reality is far from certain. Richard Blewett, mentioned above, admits that there are other possible explanations for the geological anomaly on the upper Diamantina, but adds "but they become difficult to explain". == See also ==
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