[meteorite-list] A Heads-Up: Another important article on Carancas in MAPS 44-12, 2009

[bernd.pauli at paulinet.de]

TANCREDI G. et al. (2009) A meteorite crater on Earth formed
on September 15, 2007: The Carancas hypervelocity impact
(MAPS 44-12, 2009, pp. 1967-1984).

Some of the key results the authors present:

- initial mass 7-12 metric tons
- initial diameter 1.6-2 meters
- initial velocity 12-17 km/s
- initial kinetic energy 0.12-0.41 kT TNT
- trajectory roughly east-west
- height above the horizon 45-60°
- orbit of known near-Earth asteroids
- impact time 16:40:14.4 UT
- crater dimensions: 13.5 m (rim to rim)
- depth to diameter ratio ca. 0.2 (typical of impact craters)
- meteorites collected inside and outside the crater
- classification H4-5
- peak pressures at impact over several GPa
- impact velocity on the ground > ca. 3 km/s but < 6 km/s
- hypervelocity impact event (impact speed larger than the
  speed of sound in the target material)
- significant ablation but no catastrophic disruption during
  atmospheric passage
- mass on impact 0.3-3 tons / diameter 0.6-1.1 m

Best wishes,

Bernd