Twenty-two reports presenting results from the investigation samples of the Manson impact structure, a crater site in Iowa that was not discovered until 1992. The reports cover a great deal of ground, including geophysical studies of the crater structure, detailed mineralogical, petrological, and ge

A problem for the impact hypothesis for the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) mass extinction is the apparent absence of an identifiable impact site. The Manson Impact Structure is a candidate because it is the largest recognized in the U.S.; it is relatively close to the largest and most abundant shocked quartz grains found at the K-T boundary; and its age is indistinguishable from that of the K-T boundary based on paleontological evidence, fission track dates, and preliminary Ar-40/Ar-39 measurements. The region of northwest central Iowa containing the Manson Impact Structure is covered by Quaternary glacial deposits underlain by Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks (mostly flat-lying carbonates) and Proterozoic red clastic, metamorphic, volcanic, and plutonic rocks. In a circular area about 22 miles (35 km) in diameter around Manson, Iowa, this normal sequence is absent or disturbed and near the center of the disturbed area granitic basement rocks have been uplifted some 20,000 ft (6000m). Attention was drawn to Manson initially by the unusual quality of the groundwater there. Within the structure three roughly concentric zones of rock associations have been identified: (1) displaced strata; (2) completely disrupted strata, and igneous and metamorphic rocks. Manson was established as an impact structure based on its circular shape, its central uplift, and the presence of shocked quartz within the granitic central uplift. A gravity survey identified locations of low-density brecciated rocks and high-density uplifted crystalline rocks, but the outer boundary of the structure could not be established. Aeromagnetic and ground magnetic surveys showed locations and depths of shallowly buried crystalline rock and the locations of faults. A refraction seismic survey identified the crystalline central uplift, determined that the average elevation of bedrock is 70 ft (20 m) higher outside the structure than within, and was used to map the bedrock topography within the structure. A connec...

"In 2005 and 2006, an international deep drilling project, conceived and organized under the auspices of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program and the U.S. Geological Survey, continuously cored three boreholes to a total depth of 1.766 km near the center of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure in Northampton County, Virginia. This volume presents the initial results of geologic, petrographic, geochemical, paleontologic, geophysical, hydrologic, and microbiologic analyses of the Eyreville cores, which constitute a step forward in our understanding of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure and marine impact structures in general. The editors have organized this extensive volume into the following sections: geologic columns; borehole geophysical studies; regional geophysical studies; crystalline rocks, impactites, and impact models; sedimentary breccias; post-impact sediments; hydrologic and geothermal studies; and microbiologic studies. The multidisciplinary approach to the study of this impact structure should provide a valuable example for future scientific drilling investigations."--Publisher's description.

"This volume atempts to explore and clarify the relationship among the geological records, the extinctions, and the causes of catastrophes for life in Earth's history. Most of the papers address the geological record and the extinctions across the Cretaceou-Teriary boundary, and the buried Chicxulub structure that is now consensually deemed to be of impact origin and to be intimately related to that boundary." (GSA website).

This book provides a general introduction to impact stratigraphy, with emphasis on the recognition of distal impact ejecta in the field, by focusing on the impactoclastic layers of the Umbria-Marche sequence in Central Italy, with an almost perfect stratigraphic record over the last 200 Million years. A general introduction to impact cratering and a discussion of distal ejecta and impact layers around the world is followed by a detailed description of the record of the impact of extraterrestrial bodies in sediments of the Umbria-Marche Apennines. The volume is of interest to a diverse audience in the geological and planetary sciences, ranging from (upper) undergraduate to research level. This book can also be used by students and researchers as a field guide to some of the most important Italian impact layers.

This comprehensive atlas explains the genesis and evolution of impact known craters on Earth, presenting a wealth of radar images from the Italian COSMO-SkyMed satellites that were acquired at the same frequency, spatial resolution, operating mode, and illumination, allowing excellent comparison of different impact structures. It also discusses in detail the processes that have hidden or erased terrestrial impact craters, and clearly explains the basic principles of remote sensing and the COSMO-SkyMed system and radar instruments. Also, the optical satellite remote sensing technique used to produce the optical images is described. The main section documents each of the exposed craters officially recognized as caused by meteoritic impact, presenting a table with the COSMO-SkyMed radar image and, where available, a Sentinel optical image and a photograph taken in situ. A short accompanying text reports the location, context, geographical coordinates, and other ancillary information to support future researches.

Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution held at the Vredefort Dome, South Africa, in Aug. 2008.