Shock metamorphism in meteorites

• Main Author: Zhidong, Xie
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2009
• Subjects: Space; Advances in Polar Science; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2382/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2382/1/A0090206.pdf

Shock metamorphism resulting from hypervelocity collisions between planetary bodies, is a fundamental processes in the solar system. The term "shock metamorphism" is used to describe all changes in rocks and minerals resulting from the passage of shock waves. Most meteorites have experienced collisions and have a record of shock metamorphism, which includes brecciation, deformation, phase transformation, local melting and crystallization. The key to reading this record is to use the shock features to estimate the pressure and duration of shock event. In this paper, the history of the study of shock metamorphism is reviewed; basic knowledge of shock physics is discussed; recent 10 years! studies of shock-induced melt veins are summarized; and finally a short note to the shock metamorphism in general is given.