“Giant ancient impact crater confirmed in Iowa” is the headline of a story revealing what geologists uncovered on the eastern edge of Decorah, IA.

The basin has been under scrutiny for possible meteoritic origin since its initial discovery of unique rock structures in well drillings retrieved in the region by amateur geologist Jean Young about a decade ago. The impact dates from the Middle Ordovician period almost half a billion years ago, which includes an impact chain across central North America from the Ames crater in Oklahoma to the Slate Islands crater in northern Lake Superior.

I hope you aren’t one of the fans who came out of J.J.Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek reboot nitpicking its version of Iowa’s geography like this writer —

3. I wish J.J. would have explained how the Grand Canyon showed up in Iowa. Or whatever that giant crater was supposed to be that James T. drives the roadster into as a wild youth. Anyone who has ever been to Iowa knows there is no cavernous rock formation that big in Iowa.

Now that scientists have vindicated Abrams, all that remains for fans is the comparatively easy job of explaining how young Kirk managed to drive to the Middle Ordovician period without running out of gas.

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian for the story.]