Hello List, Shatter cones are one of my favorite types of meteorite impactite. Found around large impact craters, called astroblemes (from Greek astron, blema, meaning "star wound"). Shatter cones have a distinctively patterned structure that are formed in the rock by a large impacting object. Often conically-shaped, these rocks have close-spaced "grooves" or "lines" that radiate outward from the apex. The apex, or point, of the stone points towards the impact area. I've always thought of shatter cones as a sound fossil. An Earth rock that has recorded the sound wave of the a large object from outer space announcing its arrival to earth. The following are photos showing most of the shatter cones in my personal collection. A couple I wanted to show were cut and you could see a cross of shatter cones in layers. Usually, you can break a shatter cone, and create two shatter cones. Some times something pretty, some times not. The three bottom photos show a shatter cone many of you might find of interest. This was found by Robert Szep, who told me he found it along the S.W. portion of Wanapitei Lake, about 30 yards from the shoreline. This was sold to me as a "double shatter cone", something that I have seen reported in several books. According to Szep both ends, or apex were pointed in the correct fashion for it to be a double shatter cone (each towards one of the craters). However, I understand that sometimes, the sound-shock wave from the Sudbury impact, appeared to bounce in the target rock, leaving a crinkle. The examples I have seen have been only in photos and are very large, not on a small scale such as this specimen. The shatter cone breaks at almost a 90 degree angle. Any impact cratering, physics or sound expert out there have any opinion on this rock? I have always felt sorry for the stone, hit by two meteorites.
Beaverhead Shatter cone. (Not large for the local, but for most collections it is). Almost perfect cone shape. http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Beaverhead_Shattercone.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Beaverhead_Shattercone_on_side.jpg
Kentland Shatter cone http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Kentland_Shattercone.jpg
Rochochouart Shatter cone http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Shattercone_Roch.jpg
Sheinheim Shatter Cone. The second one is "cute". http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Steinheim_Shattercone.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Steinheim_Shattercone_nice.jpg
Wells Creek Shatter Cones First photo is positive side, second is negative side http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Shattercone_Wellcreek_1.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Shattercone_Wellcreek_b.jpg Shattercone with nice "horsetailing", second photo is closeup http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/wells_Creek_Shattercone.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Wells_Creek_Shattercone_foxtailing.jpg
Serpent Mound Shatter Cones http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sijin_Shattercone.jpg
Siljan Shatter cone http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Serphant_Monnd_Shattercone.jpg
Sudbury Shatter cones 35 kilogram Sudbury Shatter cone. http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sudbury_Shattercone_3.5kg_side.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sudbury_Shattercone_3.5kg.jpg
Large flat Sudbury Shatter cone. http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sudbury_flat_shattercone_side_1.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sudbury_flat_shattercone_side2.jpg
A Sudbury and Winnipeg double shatter cone. http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sudbury_Winnipeg_Shattercone.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sudbury_Winnipeg_Shattercone_Side_1.jpg http://www.meteoritearticles.com/files/Sudbury_Winnipeg_Shattercone_Side_1.jpg
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