shocked quartz
Meteor-struck silica crystals
Shocked quartz is quartz that has been subjected to intense pressure, typically from a meteorite impact or nuclear explosion.
The crystal structure shows distinctive deformation features—parallel lines called planar deformation features—visible under a microscope.
Shocked quartz at geological boundaries provides key evidence for impact events, including the asteroid strike that killed the dinosaurs.
- shatter conesImpact-induced rock fractures
- brecciaCemented angular rock fragments
- iridium layerMetal-rich geological stratum
- K-Pg boundaryGeological extinction horizon
- smoking gunIrrefutable proof of wrongdoing
geology · planar · lechatelierite · pseudotachylite · ground zero · mineralogy · lamellae · mass extinction · extinction event · high pressure · pressure waves · dinosaur extinction · asteroid · crystallography · dinosaurs · crater · catastrophe · deep time