Investigation of the Muldai crater using airborne laser scanning

DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2025-2-31-66-82

View or download the article (Rus)

About the Authors

Ilya A. Rylskiy

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography,
1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia,
E-mail: rilskiy@mail.ru

Marina S. Malevannaya

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography,
1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia,
E-mail: malevannaya_m@mail.ru

Dmitriy A. Paramonov

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography,
1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia,
E-mail: paramonovwork@mail.ru

Roman V. Gruzdev

FGBUN Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology, Siberian Department of Russian Academy of Sciences,
16a, Nedorezova str., PO box 1032, Chita, 672002, Russia,
E-mail: rogruzdev@mail.ru

Abstract

The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of the Muldai Crater in Trans-baikalia, conducted using modern airborne laser scanning and aerial photography technologies. The crater, previously considered a meteorite crater, was studied with high accuracy using the RIEGL LMS-Q560 laser scanning system and the IGI DIGICAM H60 digital aerial photography camera, which made it possible to create detailed digital relief models and orthophotomaps. The data obtained revealed significant discrepancies with earlier descriptions of the object: the absence of an impact ridge, which is a key feature of meteorite origin, as well as the coincidence of the heights of the crater floor and the nearest watercourse, which contradicts previous statements about its location below the river level. The volume of the funnel was 42,708 m3, and the steepness of the slopes (up to 48°) indicates their relative youth and weak erosion, which is not typical for ancient meteorite structures. Analysis of the morphology and geological context suggests that the crater formation is related to karst processes rather than an impact event. This is supported by the presence of limestones in the area and magnetic anomalies caused by contact-metasomatic changes of rocks. Calculations of the energy required to form a crater of meteoritic origin make this scenario unlikely. The study also addresses general problems of identifying small impact craters in Russia, including their poor study, the inaccessibility of many regions, and the lack of systematic programs to search for them. The authors emphasize the importance of using high-precision remote sensing methods to clarify the nature of such objects and call for more detailed field studies, including drilling and geophysical measurements, to finally confirm their origin. The work makes a significant contribution to the debate on the nature of the Muldai Crater and demonstrates how modern technologies can revise established hypotheses based on limited data from past years.

Keywords

aerial photography, 3D points, laser scanning, digital elevation model, meteorite crater

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For citation: Rylskiy I.A., Malevannaya M.S., Paramonov D.A., Gruzdev R.V. Investigation of the Muldai crater using airborne laser scanning. InterCarto. InterGIS. Moscow: MSU, Faculty of Geography, 2025. V. 31. Part 2. P. 66–82. DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2025-2-31-66-82 (in Russian)