Stratigraphic Synthesis of the Danau Rayo Geosite: Possible Impact Fragmentation

Anton Wijaya, Budhi Setiawan, Yogie Zulkurnia Rochmana

Abstract


Lake Rayo in West Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been proposed as a potential meteorite impact structure, yet direct evidence supporting this origin remains limited. This study aims to provide a preliminary stratigraphic and granulometric characterization of Lake Rayo’s basin fill to clarify its genesis and support its geoheritage significance. Core sediment samples were collected from the basin floor and analyzed for grain size distribution, color (Munsell system), texture, and crack morphology using standard laboratory techniques. Seven stratigraphic intervals (BR1–BR7) were identified, showing clear vertical variations in granulometric parameters, sorting, and sediment color. Distinct fragmentation horizons, changes in color, and the occurrence of bedding cracks were interpreted as possible signatures of high-energy events, potentially associated with a meteorite impact. Comparative analysis with established impact structures, such as Lonar and Ries, revealed similar sedimentological features, supporting the impact hypothesis. These findings provide initial scientific evidence for the classification of Lake Rayo as an impact-related geoheritage site in Indonesia. The study also highlights the importance of integrating sedimentological data with future multidisciplinary research—such as geochemical and mineralogical shock analysis—to substantiate the impact origin more robustly. Overall, the results contribute valuable insights for geoheritage conservation, geoeducation, and the broader understanding of rare impact structures in Southeast Asia.


Keywords


Geoheritage, Granulometry, Lake Rayo, Meteorite Impact, Stratigraphy

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bodas, M. S., & Sen, B. (2014). The Lonar Crater: The Best Preserved Impact Crater in the Basaltic Terrain. World Geomorphological Landscapes, 223–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8029-2_24

Carrión-Mero, P., Arcentales-Rosado, M., Jaya-Montalvo, M., Briones-Bitar, J., Dueñas-Tovar, J., Espinel, R. L., Mata-Perelló, J., & Morante-Carballo, F. (2025). Assessment of geosites and geotouristic routes proposal for geoheritage promotion on volcanic islands. Geomorphology, 472, 109606. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.GEOMORPH.2025.109606

Catuneanu, O., Khalifa, M. A., & Wanas, H. A. (2006). Sequence stratigraphy of the Lower Cenomanian Bahariya Formation, Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. Sedimentary Geology, 190(1–4), 121–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SEDGEO.2006.05.010

Chandran, S. R., James, S., Aswathi, J., Padmakumar, D., Marjan, T. S., Kumar, R. B. B., Chavan, A., Bhandari, S., & Sajinkumar, K. S. (2023). A compendium of the best-preserved terrestrial hypervelocity impact crater in a basaltic terrain: The Lonar, India. Earth-Science Reviews, 243, 104508. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EARSCIREV.2023.104508

Chen, D., Hu, F., Zhang, L., Wu, Y., Du, J., & Peethambaran, J. (2024). Impact crater recognition methods: A review. Science China Earth Sciences 2024 67:6, 67(6), 1719–1742. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11430-023-1284-9

DM, abd R., Fitriana, T., & Botjing, M. U. (2025). Geodiversity Inventory for Geotourism in Tanjung Api Central Sulawesi. Jambura Geoscience Review, 7(2), 95–104. https://doi.org/10.37905/JGEOSREV.V7I2.30709

Drinia, H., Voudouris, P., & Antonarakou, A. (2023). Geoheritage and Geotourism Resources: Education, Recreation, Sustainability II. Geosciences 2023, Vol. 13, Page 350, 13(11), 350. https://doi.org/10.3390/GEOSCIENCES13110350

Fagel, N., Israde-Alcántara, I., Safaierad, R., Rantala, M., Schmidt, S., Lepoint, G., Pellenard, P., Mattielli, N., & Metcalfe, S. (2024). Environmental significance of kaolinite variability over the last centuries in crater lake sediments from Central Mexico. Applied Clay Science, 247, 107211. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CLAY.2023.107211

Folk, R. L., & Ward, W. C. (1957). Brazos River bar [Texas]; a study in the significance of grain size parameters. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 27(1), 3–26.

French, B. M., & Koeberl, C. (2010). The convincing identification of terrestrial meteorite impact structures: What works, what doesn’t, and why. Earth-Science Reviews, 98(1–2), 123–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EARSCIREV.2009.10.009

Gupta, V., Anand, S., Wei, D., Wang, G., & Tripathi, S. C. (2024). Exploring applied sustainable strategies through geoheritage and geotourism: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, 12(4), 660–677.

https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJGEOP.2024.11.009

Kasim, S. A., Suhaili Ismail, M., Ahmed, N., & Rashid, A. (2023). Facies analysis, petrography and textural characteristics of the onshore Paleogene-Neogene Lawin Basin, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia: Insights into palaeodepositional environment and provenance. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences: X, 9, 100150. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JAESX.2023.100150

Kenkmann, T., Poelchau, M. H., & Wulf, G. (2014). Structural geology of impact craters. Journal of Structural Geology, 62, 156–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSG.2014.01.015

Lee, J. Y., Shin, S., Yoon, H. H., Kim, J. C., Choi, Y., Nahm, W. H., & Kim, H. (2023). The Sedimentary records of the Hapcheon impact crater basin in Korea over the past 1.3 Ma. Frontiers in Earth Science, 11, 1102785. https://doi.org/10.3389/FEART.2023.1102785

Lenz, M., Lebas, E., Lenz, M. M., Fedorov, G., Gromig, R., Kolka, V., Krastel, S., Leicher, N., Melles, M., & Wagner, B. (2022). Highly variable sediment deposition in Lake Imandra, NW Russia, since the Late Pleistocene. Journal of Quaternary Science, 37(5), 745–764. https://doi.org/10.1002/JQS.3353

Lim, J., Yi, S., Park, S., Jung, A., Kim, Y., & Kim, S. W. (2025). Radiocarbon age anomalies in post-impact lake sediments of the Hapcheon impact crater, Korea and their implication for crater evolution. Quaternary Geochronology, 86, 101649. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.QUAGEO.2024.101649

Nicholson, U., Powell, W., Gulick, S., Kenkmann, T., Bray, V. J., Duarte, D., & Collins, G. S. (2024). 3D anatomy of the Cretaceous–Paleogene age Nadir Crater. Communications Earth & Environment 2024 5:1, 5(1), 547-. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01700-4

Osinski, G. R., Grieve, R. A. F., Ferrière, L., Losiak, A., Pickersgill, A. E., Cavosie, A. J., Hibbard, S. M., Hill, P. J. A., Bermudez, J. J., Marion, C. L.,

Newman, J. D., & Simpson, S. L. (2022). Impact Earth: A review of the terrestrial impact record. Earth-Science Reviews, 232, 104112. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EARSCIREV.2022.104112

R. Chandran, S., James, S., Aswathi, J., Padmakumar, D., Kumar, R. B. B., Chavan, A., Bhore, V., Kajale, K., Bhandari, S., & Sajinkumar, K. S. (2022). Lonar Impact Crater, India: the Best-Preserved Terrestrial Hypervelocity Impact Crater in a Basaltic Terrain as a Potential Global Geopark. Geoheritage 2022 14:4, 14(4), 130-. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12371-022-00767-9

Sari, M., Setiawan, B., & Idarwati. (2024). Danau Rayo from the geoscience perspective: Is it a product of a meteor crater? IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1424(1), 012008. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1424/1/012008

Spyrou, E., Maroukian, H., Saitis, G., Evelpidou, N., & Karkani, A. (2024). Promoting geo-education and geotourism through geosite assessment: A case study from Acheron-Parga, Epirus, Greece. International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks, 12(2), 256–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2024.04.003

Stöffler, D., Artemieva, N. A., Wünnemann, K., Reimold, W. U., Jacob, J., Hansen, B. K., & Summerson, I. A. T. (2013). Ries crater and suevite revisited-Observations and modeling Part I: Observations. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 48(4), 515–589.

https://doi.org/10.1111/MAPS.12086

Vasconcelos, M. A. R., Rocha, F. F., Crósta, A. P., Wünnemann, K., Güldemeister, N., Leite, E. P., Ferreira, J. C., & Reimold, W. U. (2019). Insights about the formation of a complex impact structure formed in basalt from numerical modeling: The Vista Alegre structure, southern Brazil. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 54(10), 2373–2383. https://doi.org/10.1111/MAPS.13298




DOI: https://doi.org/10.37905/jgeosrev.v8i1.35667

Bookmark and Share


Copyright (c) 2026 Budhi Setiawan, Anton Wijaya, Yogie Zulkurnia Rochmana

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.