Meteor Crater is a 180 m deep, 1.2 km diameter bowl-shaped
impact crater in Northern Arizona, and has long been a terrestrial analog site
for planetary exploration. During the 1960’s, Eugene Shoemaker trained NASA
astronauts at the crater to prepare for the Apollo missions to the Moon. The
Meteor Crater Sample Collection consists of geologic samples from the Meteor
Crater ejecta blanket. USGS Astrogeology curates and provides access to the Meteor
Crater Sample Collection for the planetary science community. Our goal is to
facilitate scientific research on impact melting of sedimentary targets, ejecta
distribution and deposition processes, and mineral shock metamorphism.
The geologic samples in this collection were obtained during
the 1970’s by USGS Astrogeology planetary scientist Dr. David J. Roddy, who
conducted a program of rotary drilling on the rim and flanks of the crater. Given
the financial and logistical difficulties inherent in conducting thorough field
sampling campaigns at Meteor Crater, and the importance of this unique geologic
collection to investigations of terrestrial impact craters as planetary
analogs, USGS Astrogeology curates this sample collection and manages sample
requests for the planetary science community.
Clink on the links to the right for more information.
About the Collection
The sample collection consists of over 2,500 m of drill
cuttings from 161 drill holes, drilled on the crater rim and throughout the
ejecta blanket (and beyond). The drill cuttings were sampled on average every
0.3 m, in drill holes ranging in depth from a few meters to over 50 m.
A typical sample of ejecta for a near-surface depth interval
consists of unconsolidated, fractured or pulverized sedimentary rocks, impact
melt fragments, meteoritic fragments, alluvium and organic debris.
The interactive map and data repository may be explored to
assist in selection of drilling locations and depth intervals for sampling
requests.
About Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater formed approximately 50,000 years ago by the
impact of a 100,000-ton iron-nickel meteorite, ~30 m in diameter, which struck
at an approximate speed of 12-20 km/sec. The Canyon Diablo meteorite, so named
for the small canyon to the west of the crater, exploded with the force of over
2 million tons of TNT (or about 150 times the force of the atomic bomb
detonated over Hiroshima). The impact blasted millions of tons of sandstone and
limestone out of the crater, and this pulverized rock was redeposited on the
plain around the crater along with fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite,
impact melt (shock-melted sandstone and limestone), and metallic spherules
(ballistically dispersed droplets of melted meteorite). This redeposited
material is the crater’s ejecta blanket. Geologic and petrologic studies of
Meteor Crater, especially the works of Daniel Barringer and Eugene Shoemaker,
have demonstrated conclusive evidence for the impact origin of the crater and
provided diagnostic scientific tools needed to recognize impact structures
throughout the Solar System.
Sample Request Instructions
- Explore the interactive map and data repository, if necessary, to select drill holes and depths you would like to sample.
- Certify that you have read and agree to the Sampling Protocol.
- Complete and submit the Sample Request Form to Tenielle Gaither (tgaither@usgs.gov, 928-556-7387).