[meteorite-list] Carancas: Impact crater vs. impact hole

From: bernd.pauli at paulinet.de <bernd.pauli_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: 20 Oct 2007 16:40:51 UT
Message-ID: <DIIE.000000B40000213E_at_paulinet.de>

Hello All!

BUCHWALD V.F. (1975) Handbook of Iron Meteorites, Volume 1, pp. 33-34:

For the sake of clarity it should be noted here that giant meteorites can form two types of craters.
The smaller crater is more properly called a large impact hole and is geerated by relatively small
meteorites (< 50 tons) with relatively low velocities not exceeding 5 km/s. Such meteorites cause
mechanical destruction of the ground and are themselves usually broken into a number of fragments
upon impact. The major part of the meteortic fragments will remain in the impact hole with
shattered rock and soil. Typical examples are the 100-1,700 kg iron meteorites of the Sikhote-Alin
shower that produced impact holes 6-27 meters in diameter and buried themselves to depths of 2-8
meters.
The genuine craters discussed here are more than 100 m in diameter and were formed as the result
of an explosion at the moment of impact. The projectile itself vaporized almost entirely, and
tremendous shock waves raced outward from the focus.

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As if to find a compromise between list members who differ on what to call Carancas, the
associated "hole" in the ground there obviously unites characteristics that place it in-
between what should be called an impact hole and an impact crater.

What a pleasant coincidence! ;-)

Bernd
Received on Sat 20 Oct 2007 12:40:51 PM PDT