Découverte du plus grand champ de cratères d'impact sur Terre dans la région du Gilf Kebir, Égypte

Philippe Paillou; Ahmed El Barkooky; Aly Barakat; Jean Marie Malezieux; Bruno Reynard; Jean Dejax; Essam Heggy

doi:10.1016/j.crte.2004.09.010

Découverte du plus grand champ de cratères d'impact sur Terre dans la région du Gilf Kebir, Égypte

Translated title of the contribution: Discovery of the largest impact crater field on Earth in the Gilf Kebir region, Egypt

Philippe Paillou^*, Ahmed El Barkooky, Aly Barakat, Jean Marie Malezieux, Bruno Reynard, Jean Dejax, Essam Heggy

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Using orbital imaging radar, we have detected a large number of circular structures in the southwestern Egyptian desert, covering more than 4500 km² close to the Gilf Kebir plateau in sandstones of Upper Cretaceous. Fieldwork confirmed that it is a new impact crater field: 13 craters from 20 m to 1 km in diameter were studied. The impact origin is confirmed by the observation of shock-related structures, such as shatter cones and planar fractures in quartz grains of breccia. Considering the extension of the crater field, it was possibly created by several meteorites that broke up when entering the atmosphere.

Translated title of the contribution	Discovery of the largest impact crater field on Earth in the Gilf Kebir region, Egypt
Original language	French
Pages (from-to)	1491-1500
Number of pages	10
Journal	Comptes Rendus - Geoscience
Volume	336
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2004.09.010
Publication status	Published - Dec 2004
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Crater field
Egypt
Gilf Kebir
Impact
Radar

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10.1016/j.crte.2004.09.010

Cite this

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title = "D{\'e}couverte du plus grand champ de crat{\`e}res d'impact sur Terre dans la r{\'e}gion du Gilf Kebir, {\'E}gypte",

abstract = "Using orbital imaging radar, we have detected a large number of circular structures in the southwestern Egyptian desert, covering more than 4500 km2 close to the Gilf Kebir plateau in sandstones of Upper Cretaceous. Fieldwork confirmed that it is a new impact crater field: 13 craters from 20 m to 1 km in diameter were studied. The impact origin is confirmed by the observation of shock-related structures, such as shatter cones and planar fractures in quartz grains of breccia. Considering the extension of the crater field, it was possibly created by several meteorites that broke up when entering the atmosphere.",

keywords = "Crater field, Egypt, Gilf Kebir, Impact, Radar",

author = "Philippe Paillou and {El Barkooky}, Ahmed and Aly Barakat and Malezieux, {Jean Marie} and Bruno Reynard and Jean Dejax and Essam Heggy",

year = "2004",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.crte.2004.09.010",

language = "French",

volume = "336",

pages = "1491--1500",

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T1 - Découverte du plus grand champ de cratères d'impact sur Terre dans la région du Gilf Kebir, Égypte

AU - Paillou, Philippe

AU - El Barkooky, Ahmed

AU - Barakat, Aly

AU - Malezieux, Jean Marie

AU - Reynard, Bruno

AU - Dejax, Jean

AU - Heggy, Essam

PY - 2004/12

Y1 - 2004/12

N2 - Using orbital imaging radar, we have detected a large number of circular structures in the southwestern Egyptian desert, covering more than 4500 km2 close to the Gilf Kebir plateau in sandstones of Upper Cretaceous. Fieldwork confirmed that it is a new impact crater field: 13 craters from 20 m to 1 km in diameter were studied. The impact origin is confirmed by the observation of shock-related structures, such as shatter cones and planar fractures in quartz grains of breccia. Considering the extension of the crater field, it was possibly created by several meteorites that broke up when entering the atmosphere.

AB - Using orbital imaging radar, we have detected a large number of circular structures in the southwestern Egyptian desert, covering more than 4500 km2 close to the Gilf Kebir plateau in sandstones of Upper Cretaceous. Fieldwork confirmed that it is a new impact crater field: 13 craters from 20 m to 1 km in diameter were studied. The impact origin is confirmed by the observation of shock-related structures, such as shatter cones and planar fractures in quartz grains of breccia. Considering the extension of the crater field, it was possibly created by several meteorites that broke up when entering the atmosphere.

KW - Crater field

KW - Egypt

KW - Gilf Kebir

KW - Impact

KW - Radar

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M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:10944236903

SN - 1631-0713

VL - 336

SP - 1491

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JO - Comptes Rendus - Geoscience

JF - Comptes Rendus - Geoscience

IS - 16

ER -

Découverte du plus grand champ de cratères d'impact sur Terre dans la région du Gilf Kebir, Égypte

Abstract

Keywords

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