Discovery of a double impact crater in Libya: The astrobleme of Arkenu

Abstract Using orbital imaging radar, we detected a double circular structure, located in the southeastern part of the Libyan Desert, which is partially hidden under sandy sediments. Fieldwork confirmed it to be an unknown double impact crater, each crater having a diameter of about 10 km, younger than 140 Ma. Sampling on the site enabled the observation of quantities of shatter cone structures and impact breccias containing planar fractures. To cite this article: P. Paillou et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).

[1]  G. Schaber,et al.  Subsurface Valleys and Geoarcheology of the Eastern Sahara Revealed by Shuttle Radar , 1982, Science.

[2]  J. Fineberg,et al.  Dynamic fracture by large extraterrestrial impacts as the origin of shatter cones , 2002, Nature.

[3]  R. Greeley,et al.  Space shuttle observations of terrestrial impact structures using SIR‐C and X‐SAR radars , 2002 .

[4]  Nicolas Baghdadi,et al.  Subsurface imaging in south-central Egypt using low-frequency radar: Bir Safsaf revisited , 2003, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote. Sens..

[5]  Wolfgang Dierking,et al.  Quantitative roughness characterization of geological surfaces and implications for radar signature analysis , 1999, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote. Sens..

[6]  Eugene M. Shoemaker,et al.  Asteroid and comet flux in the neighborhood of the earth , 1988 .

[7]  A. Rossi.  Seven Possible New Impact Structures in Western Africa Detected on ASTER Imagery , 2002 .

[8]  G. Schaber,et al.  Shuttle Imaging Radar: Physical Controls on Signal Penetration and Subsurface Scattenng in the Eastern Sahara , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[9]  T. Farr,et al.  Shuttle radar topography mission produces a wealth of data , 2000 .

[10]  P. Vincent,et al.  Découverte d'un nouveau cratère d'impact météoritique en Afrique : l'astroblème de Gweni-Fada (Ennedi, Sahara du Tchad) , 1996 .

[11]  Christian Koeberl,et al.  African meteorite impact craters: characteristics and geological importance , 1994 .

[12]  A. Rosenqvist,et al.  A JERS-1 radar mosaic for subsurface geology mapping in East Sahara , 2003, IGARSS 2003. 2003 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37477).

[13]  Charles Elachi,et al.  Spaceborne Radar Subsurface Imaging in Hyperarid Regions , 1984, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[14]  A. Martin.  Possible Impact Structure in Southern Cyrenaica, Libya , 1969, Nature.

[15]  R. Grieve,et al.  Impact Cratering on the Earth , 1990 .

[16]  D. Miallier,et al.  TL and ESR of quartz from the astrobleme of Aorounga (Sahara of Chad) , 1997 .

[17]  B. French,et al.  Shock-Metamorphic Features in Two Meteorite Impact Structures, Southeastern Libya , 1974 .

[18]  J. Becq-Giraudon,et al.  Impact hypervéloce d'une météorite géante à l'origine de la dépression circulaire d'Aorounga au Tchad (Afrique) , 1992 .

[19]  Falko Langenhorst,et al.  Shock metamorphism of quartz in nature and experiment: II. Significance in geoscience* , 1996 .

[20]  H. Melosh.  Impact Cratering: A Geologic Process , 1986 .