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The Nördlinger Ries is a depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The Ries is in fact an impact crater caused by a meteorite 14.8 million years ago in the Miocene. The depression has a circular shape and is 25 km in diameter. The bottom of the crater is about 100-150 m below the rim. The city of Nördlingen is located in the middle of the crater. The word "Ries" is not a German word; it is believed that the term is derived from Raetia, since the tribe of Raetians lived in the area in pre-Roman times. The addition "Nördlinger" is actually redundant, as there is no other place called Ries. In 1960 two American scientists, Eugene Shoemaker and Edward Chao, proved that the depression was caused by a meteorite. Until then it was assumed that the Ries was of volcanic origin. Another meteor crater, the much smaller Steinheim crater, is located near Nördlinger Ries. For human settlement within the Ries region, see Donau-Ries. Recently, a group on the popular networking site Facebook called the "Ries Clan" brought attention to the now infamous crater.
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