Cryptoexplosion

The term cryptoexplosion structure (or cryptovolcanic structure) means an explosion of unknown cause. The term is now largely obsolete. It was once commonly used to describe sites where there was geological evidence of a large scale explosion within the Earth's crust, but no definitive evidence for the cause such as normal volcanic rocks. These sites are usually circular with signs of anomalous rock deformation contrasting with the surrounding region, and often showing evidence that crustal material had been uplifted and/or blown outwards. The assumption was that some unusual form of volcanism, or a gas explosion originating within the crust, was the cause. The use of the term went away with the rise of the science of impact crater recognition in the late 20th Century. Most structures described as cryptoexplosions turned out to be eroded impact craters, caused by the impact of meteorites. Today geologists discount former cryptoexplosion theories.^[1]

References

See also

• Impact crater
• Impact structure
• Astrobleme
• Impact event
• Traces of Catastrophe

v t e Impact cratering on Earth Lists Worldwide Africa Antarctica Asia Australia Europe North America South America By country Confirmed ≥20 km diameter Acraman Amelia Creek Araguainha Beaverhead Boltysh Carswell Charlevoix Chesapeake Bay Chicxulub Clearwater East & West Gosses Bluff Haughton Kamensk Kara Karakul Keurusselkä Lappajärvi Logancha Manicouagan Manson Mistastin Mjølnir Montagnais Morokweng Nördlinger Ries Obolon' Popigai Presqu'île Puchezh-Katunki Rochechouart Saint Martin Shoemaker Siljan Ring Slate Islands Steen River Strangways Sudbury Tookoonooka Tunnunik Vredefort Woodleigh Yarrabubba Topics Alvarez hypothesis Breccia Coesite Complex crater Cryptoexplosion Ejecta blanket Impact crater Impact structure Impactite Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary Late Heavy Bombardment lechatelierite Meteorite Moldavite Ordovician meteor event Planar deformation features Shatter cone Shock metamorphism Shocked quartz Stishovite Suevite Tektite Research Baldwin, Ralph Belknap Barringer, Daniel Barringer Medal Chao, Edward C T Dietz, Robert S Earth Impact Database Hartmann, William K Impact Field Studies Group Lunar and Planetary Institute Melosh, H Jay Ryder, Graham Schultz, Peter H Shoemaker, Eugene Traces of Catastrophe book