Shatter cone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shatter cone from the Steinheim Basin, Germany

Shatter cones developed in fine grained dolomite from the Wells Creek crater, USA

Close-up of shatter cones developed in fine grained dolomite from the Wells Creek crater, USA

Shatter cones are rare geological features that are only known to form in the bedrock beneath large meteorite impact craters. They have a distinctively conical shape with thin grooves (striae) that radiate from the top (apex) of the cone.

Shatter cones can range in length from 2.5 centimeters to several meters. A very large example of more than 10 meters in length is known from the Slate Islands impact structure, Canada. The azimuths of the cones's axes typically radiate outwards from the point of impact, with the cones pointing towards the center of the impact crater.

[edit] References

• http://web.cocc.edu/breynolds/classes/UO_Geol_353/shatter%20cones.pdf
• http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/books/CB-954/CB-954.pdf
• http://www.sciencemall-usa.com/rarmetshatea.html

 This geology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.