Publication Date:
2020-12-21
Description:
Small impact craters (〈300 m in diameter) are rare on Earth
and mostly deeply eroded, so that knowledge of their formation
mechanism and the hazard small impactors constitute to human populations
is largely based on physical models. We report on the geophysical
investigation of the Kamil Crater we recently discovered in
southern Egypt. The Kamil Crater is a 〈5 k.y. old impact crater 45 m
in diameter, with a pristine ejecta ray structure. Such well-preserved
structures have been previously observed only on extraterrestrial
rocky or icy planetary bodies. This crater feature, and the association
with an iron meteorite impactor and shock metamorphism, provides
a unique impression of aspects of small-scale hypervelocity impacts
on the Earth’s crust. Contrary to current models, ground data indicate
that iron meteorites with masses of tens of tons may be able to
penetrate the atmosphere without substantial fragmentation.
Description:
Published
Description:
179-182
Description:
1.8. Osservazioni di geofisica ambientale
Description:
3.8. Geofisica per l'ambiente
Description:
JCR Journal
Description:
restricted
Keywords:
impact cratering
;
iron meteorites
;
shock metamorphism
;
Kamil Crater
;
Gebel Kamil
;
meteorite
;
Egypt
;
04. Solid Earth::04.04. Geology::04.04.03. Geomorphology
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
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