Shatter cone

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Shatter cone from the Steinheim Basin, Germany
Shatter cone from the Steinheim Basin, Germany
Shatter cones developed in fine grained dolomite from the Wells Creek crater, USA
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
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.[1],[2] 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

  1. ^ French, B.M. (1998). Traces of catastrophe. Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved on 2007-05-20. 
  2. ^ Sagy, A.; Fineberg, J.; Reches, Z. (2004). "Shatter cones: Branched, rapid fractures formed by shock impact". Journal of Geophysical Research 109: B10209. doi:10.1029/2004JB003016. 


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