Omeonga-A possible large impact structure on the Eastern Kasai Province (D.R. Congo)?

The Omeonga ring structure (D.R. Congo) shows a remarkable drainage pattern encircling an area up to 45km wide and encompassing a central smoothed relief 20km wide. This inner circular ridge is elevated about 70m above the ring depression corresponding to the bed of the Unia River, which flows between the inner ridge and an outer irregular ridge. Landsat 7 ETM and ASTER DEM show that the structural characteristics resemble those of several wide impact structures known on Earth. Other geological modes of origin that could produce ring structures, such as magmatic activity, salt diapirism, and karst dissolution have been considered. However, after evaluating the regional stratigraphy, the distribution of volcanism, and morphometry, these processes seem to be rather unlikely. If of impact origin, the age of the Omeonga structure can be constrained to the Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic according to the youngest units in which the ring structure was formed. © The Meteoritical Society, 2011.