Abstract
Meteorite impact craters are an essential process in how planetary bodies evolve, and a resurgence in space exploration has necessitated a renewed focus on such studies. But due to the non-uniqueness of the geological characteristics associated with impact craters, the science of geophysics plays an indispensable role in identifying them. The Bosumtwi Impact Crater in Ghana is one of the world’s youngest well-preserved mid-sized impact craters. Here we explore the current state of geophysical research in the Bosumtwi Impact Crater, focusing on analysing what part has been played in this research by local researchers. We employed the PRISMA technique for data collection, which includes identifying the sources of data required for the analysis, screening and checking the eligibility of the data. We report that the peak number of articles (7) was published in 2006. Researchers affiliated with Ghanaian institutions are in third place, with 13 % of the articles. We also observe that only two articles report a funding source from Ghana, where the Bosumtwi Impact Crater is located. All the major geophysical methods applied in geophysical studies have been observed in the studies on the Bosumtwi Impact Crater. These studies confirm the presence of shock-metamorphosed rocks. Results from our review show that, while geophysical methods did not provide an unambiguous signature for the Bosumtwi Impact crater, they provided constraints for confirming the impact origins. Our findings are significant because they highlight the lack of local financial support for research in Ghana and African countries in general. A compelling consequence of the underrepresentation of Ghanaian geophysical researchers on studies in the Bosumtwi Impact Crater is the lack of studies on hazards which is very important due to the impact origins of the crater.
Keywords: Bosumtwi Impact Crater; Systematic Review, Geophysics; Ghana; funding research.