Impactite

Impactites are rocks that at a meteorite impact (Impact) arise by the occurring strong mechanical forces ( high pressure) and high temperatures modify existing at the point of impact terrestrial rocks. These existing rocks are smashed, among other things, it caused by remodeling new minerals and rocks can be partially melted and cool as Impaktglas again. For Impactites characteristic new minerals are, for example, silica varieties stishovite and coesite, which can occur only under high pressure.

The process which leads to the formation of impactites are called shock metamorphism.

Impactites with characteristic high-pressure minerals include evidence that a specific structure of the earth's crust is an impact crater. In Germany, the Ries is the most famous impact crater impactites, for example Suevite.