Numerical modeling and acoustic testing techniques at impact craters on a laboratory scale – what can we learn to better understand meteorite craters?

Almost all terrestrial impact craters exhibit a typical geophysical signature. The usually observed circular negative gravity anomaly and reduced seismic velocities in the vicinity of crater structures are presumably related to an approximately hemispherical zone underneath craters where rocks have experienced intense brittle plastic deformation and fracturing during formation. In the framework of the "MEMIN" (multidisciplinary experimental and modeling impact crater research network) project we carried out hypervelocity cratering experiments on a decimeter scale to study the spatiot emporal evolution of the damage zone using ultrasound, acoustic emission techniques, and numerical modeling of crater formation. 2.5-10 mm iron projectiles were shot at 2-5.5 km s-1 on dry and water-saturated sandstone targets. The target material was characterized before, during and after the impact with high spatial resolution acoustic techniques to detect the extent of the damage zone, the state of rocks therein and to record the growth of cracks. The ultrasound measurements are applied analog to seismic surveys at natural craters but used on a different - i.e. much smaller - scale. We compare the measured data with dynamic models of crater formation, shock, plastic and elastic wave propagation, and tensile/shear failure of rocks in the impacted sandstone blocks. The presence of porosity and pore water significantly affects the propagation of waves. In particular the crushing of pores due to shock compression has to be taken into account. We present preliminary results showing good agreement between experiments and numerical model. In a next step we plan to use the numerical models to upscale the results from laboratory dimensions to the scale of natural impact craters.     «

Almost all terrestrial impact craters exhibit a typical geophysical signature. The usually observed circular negative gravity anomaly and reduced seismic velocities in the vicinity of crater structures are presumably related to an approximately hemispherical zone underneath craters where rocks have experienced intense brittle plastic deformation and fracturing during formation. In the framework of the "MEMIN" (multidisciplinary experimental and modeling impact crater research network) projec...     »