Symphony of AstroblemesEarth as a score

Earth impact structures with diameter and age markers
00:0001:02
Preparing the scoreClick a point to hear a crater
Symphony of Astroblemes is an interactive sound map in which the traces of extraterrestrial impacts become a musical score for the Earth. The coordinates, dimensions, and ages of these impact structures are translated into musical relationships. As one navigates the map, these elements coalesce into a sequence of voices, linking events separated by vast distances and geological time. Visitors can listen to this sequence or interact with the map themselves, weaving individual craters into their own unique composition. The geological archive is transformed into a performance space: every new gesture establishes a temporal connection between the surviving traces of these impacts. This work continues my exploration of "deep time," and the transitions between image and sound. By connecting the musical notation systems devised by humanity with the traces of craters of extraterrestrial origin, I seek to understand what remains audible when an impact transforms into geology.
210 crater records · individual playback
CraterLatitudeNoteDiameterAgeListen
How to read and listen to the map

One crater record, one point, one onset. The playhead moves from west to east. Longitude determines when a sound begins; latitude determines its pitch. The center and circumference glow while the crater sounds. The treble clef responds to northern craters; the bass clef responds to southern craters. Click a point to hear it individually, or use the searchable list above in areas with many craters.

In Diameter + age mode, larger craters sound longer on a logarithmic scale. Older age categories have a gentler fade-in. Uniform notes mode uses a fixed duration and attack for comparison.

Chamber orchestra uses recorded clarinet, cello section, solo violin and French horn samples from VSCO 2 Community Edition. Low notes are played by cellos, high notes by violin, and the middle register by clarinet or French horn for larger structures within its range. Latitude still determines the sounding pitch: no octave shifts are added.

The Current catalog contains 210 location records of astroblemes, craters formed by extraterrestrial objects colliding with our planet, from the Impact Earth database, retrieved on October 2026: 196 hypervelocity impact craters, 12 impact craters and 2 uncategorized records. Source coordinates are used exactly as supplied, without independent corrections. The Original catalog preserves the earlier map containing 190 records. These catalogs differ in names, coordinates and scientific estimates; the original remains available for comparison. Symbols indicate centers and diameter values at an enlarged display scale, not the geographic outlines of craters.

Credits & sources

Artwork and sonification: Oksana Rudko, 2026.

Original cartographic design and base: CMG Lee / USGS / Earth Impact Database, source map, CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: updated crater layer, musical staves, color treatment and interactive points. The adapted map layer is available under the same license.

Updated crater records: Impact Earth / Western University, snapshot 15 October 2026. The earlier catalog remains available as Original.

Instrument recordings: VSCO 2 Community Edition by Versilian Studios / Sam Gossner and Simon Dalzell; sample cutting by Elan Hickler / Soundemote. CC0 1.0. Adaptations: compact mono samples, level matching and crossfaded sustain loops.

Clef outlines: Bravura / Steinberg Media Technologies, SIL Open Font License 1.1. Attribution and license texts are retained with the project.