6,691 research outputs found
Experimental Impacts into Feldspar Phenocrysts
Meteorite impact craters are the
dominant surface feature on most terrestrial planetary
bodies [1]. The extreme temperatures and pressures
generated by hypervelocity impact events produce a
variety of microscopic shock metamorphic effects in
minerals, as well as non-exclusive shock-related features
such as pervasive fracturing and brecciation.<p></p>
Studies of shock effects in feldspar group minerals
have been limited due to the the comparatively rapid
rate at which feldspars weather, and the complexity of
their microtextures which renders them difficult to
study using conventional optical techniques. However,
feldspars are becoming increasingly investigated for
use as shock barometers due to their importance in
planetary studies and meteoritics, where rocks often
contain little or no quartz [e.g., 2]. This provides the
motivation to examine more closely the effects of
high-velocity impact of a projectile, in the method of
[3], into a feldspathic target, in order to the resultant
microstructural variation.<p></p>
- …