Fig. 10: Reconnaissance simulation results for hypervelocity impact of a 160 m diameter rocky asteroid (3300 kg m-3 density) at 15 km s-1.
From: Multiple lines of evidence for a hypervelocity impact origin for the Silverpit Crater
A shows the pre-impact stratigraphic model, followed by the transient crater 6 s (B) and 12 s (C) after impact. Crater modification and collapse start 30 s after impact (D). Crater modification has ceased by 60 s after impact (E), but resurge of water into the evacuated cavity continues beyond 120 s (F). The model replicates the geometry of the crater, central uplift and moat at the BCU level and Top Chalk, and the envelope of intense brittle damage in the Chalk (light green shading), which shallows with increasing distance from the crater centre. Peak temperatures of 20–30 GPa in the chalk are sufficient to cause devolatilization of the chalk, assuming sufficient shear heating. An animation of the full simulation is included in Supplementary Information (Movie S1).
