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Meteorite shock stage

Meteorite shock stage is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Meteorite shock stage rather than just read about it. In short: Meteorite shock stage is a measure of the degree of fracturing of the matrix of a common chondrite meteorite. Impacts on the parent body of a meteoroid can produce very large pressures.

Meteorite shock stage — main illustration
Meteorite shock stage — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Meteorite shock stage belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Meteorite shock stage to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Meteorite shock stage from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Meteorite shock stage is a measure of the degree of fracturing of the matrix of a common chondrite meteorite. Impacts on the parent body of a meteoroid can produce very large pressures. These pressures heat, melt and deform the rocks. This is called shock metamorphism. Meteorites are often given a rating from 1 to 6 showing the level of shock metamorphism. However, the degree of shock can vary within a meteorite on the scale of centimeters. Smaller bodies colliding with one another would not have sufficiently great impact velocity to produce the pressures and temperatures required to produce shock effects, due to their lesser gravitational attraction for one another. High instantaneous pressures, in excess of 5 GPa (1 GPa = 10,000 atmospheres), are necessary to produce shock metamorphism.

Shock grade

The fracturing of crystals and other features must be observed under a microscope with shock effects observed under polarized light. Larger structures, such as shock veins, are visible to the eye. Many of the shocked veins formed at the boundaries of polished surfaces of brecciated specimens exhibit intricate spider-web-like structures. Following is a summary of the shock grades:

S1: completely unshocked (up to 5 GPa) S2: very weakly shocked (5-10 GPa); uneven darkening of olivine as seen under polarized light; planar and irregular fractures (breaks in other than a natural cleavage plane.) S3: weakly shocked (15-20 GPa); weak fractures in olivine seen under polarized light; dark shock veins and some melt pockets S4: moderately shocked; (30-35 GPa); weak planar fracturing of olivine under polarized light; some pockets of melted material, dark interconnected shock veins S5: strongly shocked (45-55 GPa); very strong planar fracturing and deformation features in olivine; alteration of plagioclase into maskelynite; formation of dark melt veins S6: very strongly shocked (75-90 GPa); olivine recrystallizes, with local alteration to a mineral called ringwoodite and shock melting of plagioclase to a glass Greater shock pressures will melt the rock, producing what is referred to as an "impact melt". These are seldom found on Earth, so they are very much sought after by collectors.

See also Glossary of meteoritics Meteorite classification Meteorite weathering Shock metamorphism

References

Illustrations

Meteorite shock stage: Shock stationed clay mineral from the Puchezh-Katunsky meteorite crater
Shock stationed clay mineral from the Puchezh-Katunsky meteorite crater
Meteorite shock stage: Shocked quartz with two sets of "decorated" planar deformation features in impact melt rock from the Suvasvesi impact crater. Planar deformation features are only produced by extreme shock compressions on the scale of meteor impacts. They are not found in volcanic environments.
Shocked quartz with two sets of "decorated" planar deformation features in impact melt rock from the Suvasvesi impact crater. Planar deformation features are only produced by extreme shock compressions on the scale of meteor impacts. They are not found in volcanic environments.
Meteorite shock stage: Impact-fractured granite (orangish areas - K-feldspar & quartz) with grayish- to blackish-colored impact pseudotachylite (impact melt) vein fillings
Impact-fractured granite (orangish areas - K-feldspar & quartz) with grayish- to blackish-colored impact pseudotachylite (impact melt) vein fillings

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Meteorite shock stage

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Meteorite shock stage claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Meteorite shock stage before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Meteorite shock stage ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Meteorite shock stage

In research
Meteorite shock stage appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Meteorite shock stage in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Meteorite shock stage is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Meteorite mineralogy and petrology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Meteorite shock stage outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Meteorite shock stage in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Meteorite shock stage means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Meteorite shock stage out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Meteorite shock stage in simple terms?

Meteorite shock stage is a measure of the degree of fracturing of the matrix of a common chondrite meteorite. Impacts on the parent body of a meteoroid can produce very large pressures.

Why does Meteorite shock stage matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Meteorite shock stage?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Meteorite shock stage.

Tags

  • Meteorite mineralogy and petrology

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