meteoriteimpact
Meteorite impact is the collision of a meteorite with a planetary surface, releasing kinetic energy that often forms a crater and distributes ejecta. Most small bodies burn up in the atmosphere, but larger ones survive to strike the surface. The impact energy, velocity, and angle determine the crater's size and morphology. The process includes an initial transient crater, followed by modification-stage collapse that produces a broader complex structure with an ejecta blanket and sometimes melt rocks.
Impact craters are identified by features such as fracture patterns, shocked minerals, and, in some cases, tektites
Investigations combine field mapping, geophysical imaging, drilling, and laboratory analysis. Isotopic and mineralogical evidence, such as
Notable examples include Barringer Crater in Arizona, Chicxulub in the Yucatán Peninsula (linked to the Cretaceous–Paleogene