United States Meteorite Impact Craters

Flynn Creek CRATER, Tennessee

Flynn Creek crater - impact structure is about 3.8 km in diameter, and is exposed at the surface. The surface expression is substantial, but heavily weathered. The impact occurred about 360 ± 20 million years ago in a very shallow marine setting. It is a complex crater with a central uplifted peak.

Evidence of Impact Origin

The impact origin of each location listed on this website has been supported by unambiguous diagnostic evidence of hypervelocity impact that has been reported in a scientific (usually peer reviewed) context. Without such evidence, a geological structure is not a confirmed impact crater. This section, which is included for each crater on this website, is not an exhaustive list of such published evidence, but is meant to demonstrate that appropriate work has been done for each listing.

Dietz, 1968; Roddy, 1977.

Nature of diagnostic evidence:

shatter cones

Other significant evidence: morphology mapped in detail, breccia.

How to get there

The crater is located about 8 km south of Gainesboro, in Jackson County, Tennesee.

Bibliography and References:

(If links to articles don't work, don't give up. Try pasting the link shown into a search engine or searching for the article authors, title, or other reference information. If your research leads you to additional scientific references related to this crater, please help improve this resource by sending a note with the new citation(s) to: )

Adrien D. R. 2017. Analysis of a drill core from the central uplift of Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennessee. Master's Thesis, Auburn University

Adrian D. R., King D. T. Jr., Ormö J., Petruny L. W., Hagerty J. J., Gaither T. A., Jaret S. J. 2016. Analysis of drill core FC77-1 from the Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennessee USA (abstract #2953). Abstracts of the 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

Bassler, R. S. (1932) Stratigraphy of the Central Basin of Tennessee. Tennessee Division of Geology,Bulletin volume 38, 268 pages.

no link found

Berwind, M. (2006) Field Trip to the Wells Creek Basin Cryptoexplosive Structure, Stewart and Houston Counties. Tennessee. Tennessee Division of Geology.

no link found; referenced in Ford, 2015

Berwind, M. (2007) Meteorite impact structures in Tennessee. The Tennessee Conservationist, volume 73, number 3, pp. 15-18.

no link found; referenced in Ford, 2015

Boon, J. D., and Albritton, C.C. (1937) Meteorite Scars in Ancient Rocks. Field and Laboratory, volume 5, number 2, pp. 53-64.

Boon, J. D., and Albritton, C.C. (1938) Established and supposed examples of meteoritic craters and structures. Field and Laboratory, volume 6, number 2, pp. 44-56.

Dietz, R. S. (1946) Geological Structures Possibly Related To Lunar Craters. Popular Astronomy, volume 54, issue 9, 465-467.

Dietz, R. S. (1968) Shatter cones in cryptoexplosion structures, in French, B. and Short, N. M., eds., Shock metamorphism of natural materials. Mono Book Corp., Baltimore, Maryland, p. 267-285.

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Evenick, J. C., Lee, P., and Deane, B. (2004), Flynn Creek impact structure: new insights from melt breccias, melt features, shatter cones, and remote sensing (abstract #1131). Abstracts of the 35th Lunar Planetary Science Conference.

Evenick, Jonathan C. (2006) Field Guide to the Flynn Creek Impact Structure. Knoxville: University of Tennessee. 22 pg.

Ford, J. H. (2015) The Tennessee meteorite impact sites and changing perspectives on impact cratering. PhD dissertation. University of Southern Queensland.

Ford J. R. H., Orchiston W., Clendening R. (2013) The Flynn Creek Meteorite Impact Site and Changing Views on Impact Cratering. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, volume 16, number 2, pp.127-183.

Gaither T. A., Hagerty J. J., Bailen M. (2015) The USGS Flynn Creek Crater Drill Core Collection: Progress on a Web-Based Portal and Online Database for the Planetary Science Community. (abstract #2089). Abstracts of the 46th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Hagerty, J. J., Gaither, T. A., McHone, J. F., and Abramov, O. (2013) The USGS Flynn Creek Crater Drill Core Collection (abstract #1304), Abstracts of the 4th Annual Planetary Crater Consortium.

Hagerty, J. J., McHone, J. F., and Gaither, T. A. (2013) The Flynn Creek Crater Drill Core Collection at the USGS in Flagstaff, Arizona (abstract #2122), Abstracts of the 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

de Marchi L., King D. T. Jr., Ormö J., Petruny L. W., Adrian D. R., Hagerty J. J., Gaither T. A., Jaret S. J. 2017. Marine resurge sequences in drill cores FC67-3 and FC77-3 -- Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennesee USA (abstract #1765). Abstracts of the 48th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

de Marchi L., Ormö J., Adrian D. R., King D. T. Jr. 2017. Marine resurge sequences in drill cores from Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennessee, USA (abstract). EPSC Abstracts, Volume 11, EPSC2017-987, European Planetary Science Congress.

de Marchi L., Ormö J., Adrian D. R., King D. T. Jr., Petruny L. W., Hagerty J. J., Gaither T. A. 2017. Marine resurge sequences in drill cores from Flynn Creek impact structure, Tennessee, USA (abstract #6287), Abstracts of the 80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society

Milam, K.A., and Deane, B. (2005) Petrogenesis of Central Uplifts in Complex Terrestrial Impact Craters (abstract #2161). Abstracts of the 36th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Milam, K.A., and Deane, B. (2006) Flynn Creek Crater: The Birthplace of Impact Speleology. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Volume 38, Number 3, p. 82.

Milam, K. A., Deane, B. (2006) From the inside-out: central uplift formation from the perspective of Hawkins Impact Cave (abstract). Abstracts of the Geological Society of America Southeastern Section 55th Annual Meeting, Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No. 3, p. 81.

Milam, K. A. and Deane, B. (2007) The search for a meteoritic component in impactites from the Flynn Creek impact crater (abstract #2320). Abstracts of the 38th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Milam, K. A., Deane, B., King, P. L., Lee, P. C., Hawkins, M. (2005) Inside of the Flynn Creek Impact and processes of central uplift formation: the view from Hawkins Impact Cave (abstract). Abstracts of the 68th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting.

Milam, K. A., Deane, B., King, P. L., Lee, P. C., Hawkins, M. (2006) From the inside of a central uplift: the view from Hawkins Impact Cave (abstract). Abstracts of the 37th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Milam, K. A., Evenick, J. C., and Deane, B., eds, (2005) Field guide to the Middlesboro and Flynn Creek impact structures: Field Impact Studies Group, 69th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting, 47 p.

Milam, K.A., and Perkins, J. W. (2012) The Obliquity of the Flynn Creek Impact Event (abstract #2294). Abstracts of the 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Milam, K.A., and Perkins, J. W. (2012) The Obliquity of the Impact Event at Flynn Creek, Tennessee (abstract). Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Volume 44, Number 5, p. 20.

Over, J.D., and Schieber, J. (2005) Conodonts and crater fill history of the Flynn Creek Structure, Upper Devonian, Central Tennessee, USA. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, volume 37, number 3, p. 13.

Perkins, W. J. (2011) Rim deformation as evidence for an oblique meteorite impact at the Flynn Creek Crater. Master's Thesis. Ohio University.

Roddy, D. J. (1963) Flynn Creek structure. Astrogeologic Studies Annual Progress Report, U.S. Geological Survey.

Roddy, D. J. (1964) Geologic section across the Flynn Creek structure. Astrogeologic Studies Annual Progress Report.

Roddy, D. J. (1964) Recent investigations of the Flynn Creek structure, with a section on geophysical studies by Shawn Biehler and D. J. Roddy. Astrogeologic Studies, Annual Progress Report, United States Geological Survey, part B, pp. 163-180.

Roddy, D. J. (1965) Recent Geologic and Laboratory Investigations of the Flynn Creek Structure, Tennessee. Astrogeologic Studies Annual Progress Report, U.S. Geologic Survey, B, 50-61.

no link found

Roddy, D. J. (1966) An unusual dolomitic basal facies of the Chattanooga shale in the Flynn Creek structure (abstract). American Mineralogist, v. 51, p. 270.

Roddy, D. J. (1966) Carbonate Deformation at a Probable Impact Crater at Flynn Creek, Tennessee (abstract). Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, Volume 47, Issue 3, pp. 493-494. doi:10.1029/TR047i003p00443

Roddy, D. J. (1966) The Paleozoic crater at Flynn Creek, Tennessee. Unpublished PhD thesis, California Institute of Technology.

no link found

Roddy, D. J. (1968) Comet impact and formation of Flynn Creek and other craters with central peaks (abstract). EOS, volume 49, issue 1, p. 272.

Roddy, D. J. (1968) Paleozoic Crater at Flynn Creek, Tennessee: a Probable Impact Structure (abstract). Geological Society of America Special Paper 101, p. 179.

Roddy, D. J. (1968) Shock metamorphism in carbonate rocks at probable impact structures (abstract). Geological Society of America, Cordilleran Section, 64th Annual Meeting, Tuscon, Arizona, p.103.

no link found

Roddy, D. J. (1968) The Flynn Creek crater, Tennessee, in French, B. M. and Short, N. M. ,eds., Shock Metamorphism of Natural Materials, Mono Book Corp., Baltimore, MD, pp. 291-322.

no link found

Roddy, D. J. (1976) The Flynn Creek crater: Structural deformation and cratering processes. Paper presented to the Symposium on Planetary Cratering Mechanics (Lunar Science Institute Topical Conference), 259, pp. 121-123.

Roddy, D. J. (1977) Tabular comparisons of the Flynn Creek impact crater, United States, Steinheim impact crater, Germany, and Snowball explosion crater, Canada, in Roddy, D.J., Pepin, R.A. and Merrill, R.B., eds., Impact and Explosion Cratering, Pergamon Press, New York, pp. 125-161.

Roddy, D. J. (1977) Pre-impact conditions and cratering processes at the Flynn Creek crater, Tennessee. in Roddy, D. J., Pepin, R. O. and Merrill, R .B., eds., Impact and Explosion Cratering: Planetary and Terrestrial Implications. Pergamon Press, New York, pp. 277-308.

Roddy, D. J. (1979) Structural deformation at the Flynn Creek impact crater, Tennessee: A preliminary report on deep drilling. Proceedings Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 10th, pp . 2519-2534.

Roddy, D. J. (1979) Current drilling and structural studies at the Flynn Creek impact crater, Tennessee (abstract #1361). Abstracts of the 10th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Abstract.

Roddy, D. J. (1980) Completion of a deep drilling program at the Flynn Creek impact crater, Tennessee (abstract #1335). Abstracts of the 11th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Schieber, J., and Over, J. D. (2004) Age Constraints on the Formation of the Devonian Flynn Creek Structure, Tennessee (abstract). Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, volume 36, number 5, p. 165.

Schieber, J. and D. J. Over. (2005) Sedimentary fill of the Late Devonian Flynn Creek Crater: A hard target marine impact, p. 51–69. In D. J. Over, J. R. Morrow, and P. B. Wignall (eds.), Understanding Late Devonian and Permian-Triassic Biotic and Climatic Events: Towards an Integrated Approach. Elsevier.

Schieber, J., and Roddy, D. J. (2000) The Flynn Creek crater in Tennessee: Learning from crater sedimentation about timing and impact conditions (abstract). Geological Society of America Annual Meeting - Reno, Nevada. Abstracts with Programs, volume 32, number 7, p. A451.

Thaisen, K., and Schieber, J. (1999) The Flynn Creek Impact Structure of Tennessee: Evidence for shock deformation and infill mechanisms (abstract). Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, volume 31, number 1, p. 36.

Wilson, C. W. Jr., Born, K. E., The Flynn Creek disturbance, Jackson county, Tennessee. Journal of Geology, volume 44, number 7, pp. 815-835. 1936.

Wilson, C. W., Jr. and Roddy, D. J., (1990), Geologic map and mineral resources summary of the Gainesboro quadrangle, Tennessee: Tennessee Division of Geology, GM 325-SW, Scale 1:24,000.

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