Bilateral symmetry of circular impact structures of astroblemes

Abstract

The relief of the true crater-bottom and the distribution of impactites and allogenic breccias for the Popigay and Kara astroblemes is examined. It is shown that the crater morphology and the distribution of ejecta of fragmented and melted masses has a series of features of symmetry in common with lunar analogs of large astroblemes, formed as a result of an oblique impact, as well as with impact and impact-explosive craters. This leads to the conclusion that both structures were formed as a result of oblique impact of meteoroid bodies; the trajectory projection of the body which formed the Popigay crater had an azimuth of 200 + or - 10 deg., while this azimuth for the Kara crater was 50 + or - 10 deg