Shatter Cone Impactite | 78.3 grams | Steinheim Basin Impact Structure | Ries crater, Germany SO24

This is a fantastic shatter cone from Germany weighing 78.3 grams and measuring 80x43x28 mm. Although not a meteorite, impactites and shatter cones are directly linked to them and their impacts.   Shatter cones are evidence that the rock has been subjected to an extreme shock with very brief high pressures.

Shatter cones are rare geological features that are only known to form in the bedrock beneath large meteorite impact craters. They have a distinctively conical shape with thin grooves (striae) that radiate from the top (apex) of the cone. Shatter cones can range in length from 1 centimeter to several meters. The azimuths of the cones's axes typically radiate outwards from the point of impact, with the cones pointing towards the center of the impact crater.

This shatter cone was formed 14.5 million years ago in Malmian or Jurassic limestone at the Steinheim Basin impact structure and Ries crater in Germany. This piece displays very well and is a very nice size showing multiple characteristics of its origin. Would make a beautiful addition to any collection.