An Analysis of Differential Impact Melt-crater Scaling and Implications for the Terrestrial Impact Record

The volume of impact melt relative to that of the transient cavity is known to increase with the magnitude of the impact event. This paper investigates the influence of that phenomenon on the nature of terrestrial impact craters. A model of impact melting was used to estimate the volume of melt produced during the impact of chondritic projectiles into granite targets at velocities of 15, 25, and 50 km per sec. The results were compared with observed melt volumes at terrestrial craters, which were collated from the literature and paired with the transient-cavity diameters of their respective craters. Results show that the record on terrestrial craters is not inconsistent with the predictions of the model.