Mike Treder examines the likelihood of an extinction-level event, particularly an asteroid or meteor impact. The image above is a crater from a previous impact, which you can read about in a WIRED slideshow of large-scale craters:
The Lonar crater in Maharashta, India is around 6,000 feet wide and 500 feet deep and contains a saltwater lake. Scientists determined the structure was caused by an asteroid through clues such as the presence of maskelynite, a glass that is only formed by extremely high-velocity impacts. The impact occurred around 50,000 years ago. This image was captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite. It is a simulated true-color image
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