Shatter cones - An outstanding problem in shock mechanicsShatter cone characteristics are surveyed. Shatter cones, a form of rock fracture in impact structures, apparently form as a shock front interacts with inhomogeneities or discontinuities in the rock. Topics discussed include morphology, conditions of formation, shock pressure of formation, and theories of formation. It is thought that shatter cones are produced within a limited range of shock pressures extending from about 20 to perhaps 250 kbar. Apical angles range from less than 70 deg to over 120 deg. Tentative hypotheses concerning the physical process of shock coning are considered. The range in shock pressures which produce shatter cones might correspond to the range in which shock waves decompose into elastic and deformational fronts.
Document ID
19780060154
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Milton, D. J. (U.S. Geological Survey Reston, Va., United States)
Date Acquired
August 9, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1977
Subject Category
Geophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: Symposium on Planetary Cratering Mechanics