In the 1990s Johan Naterstad and Johannes Dons (University of Oslo) recognized the structure as an ancient impact crater. This discovery initiated further research, several papers and was the project for a pH.D. thesis by Elin Kalleson (University of Oslo), defended in June 2009.
Gardnos has also been launched as a tourist attraction as the site of a giant meteorite collision in the distant past and more recently a place for cultural and natural history - gardnos.no.