shocked quartz Archives

Calibrated ages of the YDB layer at the three sites. Each figure shows the mean calibrated age as a white dot with thin black bars indicating the mean uncertainties.

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Status Report

Shocked Quartz At The Younger Dryas Onset Supports Cosmic Airbursts/Impacts

by Keith CowingSeptember 26, 2025September 26, 2025

Shocked quartz grains are an accepted indicator of crater-forming cosmic impact events, which also typically produce amorphous silica along the fractures. Furthermore, previous research has shown that shocked quartz can […]

Shock-fractured quartz grains from (c) Pars-45 quartz grain 09x-12. Composite color (RGB) CL image. Blue represents unmelted quartz; orange represents melted quartz that has been annealed; black represents fractures filled with amorphous silica. Note that the fractures in this grain radiate from the area at the upper right, potentially resulting from a high-pressure collision with another grain. -- ScienceOpen.com

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Comets and Asteroids, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release

Shocked Quartz Reveals Evidence Of Historical Cosmic Airburst During The Younger Dryas

by Keith CowingJune 27, 2024June 27, 2024

Researchers continue to expand the case for the Younger Dryas Impact hypothesis. The idea proposes that a fragmented comet smashed into the Earth’s atmosphere 12,800 years ago, causing a widespread […]