Shatter cone
Rare conical fractures formed by high-pressure shock.
Last updated
Shatter cones are rare geological features that form in bedrock beneath meteorite impact craters or underground nuclear explosions.[1] Shock pressures from 2 to 30 GPa are indicated by these features.[1]
Quick Facts
- Field
- Geology
- Formation cause
- Meteorite impacts or underground nuclear explosions
- Largest known example
- More than 10 meters in length at Slate Islands, Terrace Bay, Ontario, Canada
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
From the apex, a conical shape radiates outward, with smaller cones nested on larger ones at various scales.[2] A spoon-like form can appear on the flank of a larger cone.[2] Shatter cones in coarser-grained rocks are often less distinct and can be confused with slickensides.[1] Proposed mechanisms for shatter cone creation include compression from the passing shock wave and tension during the rebound phase.[1]
This process produces branching fractures that range from large to small throughout the rock.[1]
What the cited sources add
It also cites Sagy's 2004 paper in the Journal of Geophysical Research on shatter cones as branched, rapid fractures formed by shock impact.[1] French's 2005 guide "Stalking the Wily Shatter Cone" in Impacts in the Field is another cited source.[1]
References
- Wikipedia, "Shatter cone" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: French, B.M., "Traces of catastrophe", Lunar and Planetary Institute, 1998; Sagy, A., "Shatter cones: Branched, rapid fractures formed by shock impact", Journal of Geophysical Research, 2004, p. B10209; French, "Stalking the Wily Shatter Cone: A Critical Guide for Impact-Crater Hunters", Impacts in the Field, 2005, p. s 3–10 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Shatter cone" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sagy, A., "Shatter cones: Branched, rapid fractures formed by shock impact", Journal of Geophysical Research, 2004, p. B10209 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Shatter cone (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Impact craters
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Shatter cone (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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