Encyclopedic Atlas of Terrestrial Impact Craters Enrico Flamini • Mario Di Martino • Alessandro Coletta Editors Encyclopedic Atlas of Terrestrial Impact Craters 123 Editors Enrico Flamini Mario Di Martino Italian Space Agency Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino—Istituto Rome, Italy Nazionale di Astrofisica Pino Torinese, Italy Alessandro Coletta Italian Space Agency Rome, Italy ISBN 978-3-030-05449-6 ISBN 978-3-030-05451-9 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05451-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018968390 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover illustration: Radar image of the Gosses Bluff impact crater central peak (Australia) acquired in spotlight mode in right ascending geometry on 12 January 2010 by COSMO-SkyMed satellite This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Foreword Craters on the Earth are traces on the path our planet has followed to come to existence from the early nebula which was filling this corner of the galaxy. Millions of cataclysmic events were necessary about five billions of years ago to form the Earth. We do not have evidences of this part of the Earth history on the surface. However, impacts continued through the Ages and traces of the most recent craters are present over the surface of the Earth. Documenting them through satellite observations provides important information on the genesis of our planet through a very valuable, systematic observational approach. This atlas is unique in its kind. The images are provided by the Italian COSMO-SkyMed SAR constellation, likely the most advanced system in the world in the X band. Radar images were acquired under a uniform spatial resolution, illumination, and operating mode in order to maximize the quality of the resulting archive. These images, when possible, are accompanied by Sentinel optical satellites developed and operated for the European Commission by ESA, providing a most complete cross-check and additional information. Also, craters have their evolution. Their initial shape depends on the impactor kinetic energy, the structure of the ground, and other parameters. They then get slowly erased and sometimes buried by sediments with time in ways which are depending on geology and environmental conditions on a active planet as the Earth. By documenting and localizing almost two hundreds of known craters, this Atlas will be very useful to better understand crater formation and evolution and provides a new research method that may, hopefully, help new crater findings. Getting through these pages, it is then both a scientific experience and an aesthetic experience, which I hope you will fully enjoy. Trento, Italy Prof. Roberto Battiston Professor at the University of Trento v Contents Part I Chapters Impacting Bodies and Post-impact Modification Processes on Earth ........... 3 Enrico Flamini, Stelvio Staffieri, and Mario Di Martino Origin and Classification of Impacting Objects, and their Effects on the Earth Surface ......................................................... 7 Mario Di Martino, Enrico Flamini, and Stelvio Staffieri Impact Cratering .................................................. 19 Mario Di Martino, Enrico Flamini, and Stelvio Staffieri The Planet Earth: A Review of the Influence of Cratering on the Geological Evolution of our Planet ............................................. 29 Karen McBride Observation from Space: SAR Systems ................................. 41 Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Observation from Space: Optical Systems ............................... 51 Bianca Hoersch, Fabrizio Ramoino, Ferran Gascon, and Yves-Louis Desnos Part II Terrestrial Impact Craters List Amguid, Algeria .................................................. 61 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Aorounga, Chad .................................................. 65 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Aouelloul, Mauritania .............................................. 69 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli BP Structure, Libya ................................................ 73 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Bosumtwi, Ghana ................................................. 77 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Gweni-Fada, Chad ................................................. 81 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Kalkkop, South Africa .............................................. 85 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Kamil, Egypt ..................................................... 89 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli vii viii Contents Kgagodi, Botswana ................................................ 91 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Luizi, Democratic Republic of Congo .................................. 93 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Morokweng, South Africa ........................................... 97 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Oasis, Libya ...................................................... 101 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Ouarkziz, Algeria ................................................. 105 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Roter Kamm, Namibia ............................................. 109 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Talemzane, Algeria ................................................ 113 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Tenoumer, Mauritania .............................................. 117 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Tin Bider, Algeria ................................................. 121 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Tswaing, South Africa .............................................. 125 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Vredefort, South Africa ............................................. 129 Mario Di Martino, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Beyenchime-Salaatin, Russia ......................................... 133 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Bigach, Kazakhstan ................................................ 135 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Chiyli, Kazakhstan ................................................ 137 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Chukcha, Russia .................................................. 139 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Dhala, India ...................................................... 141 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli El’gygytgyn, Russia ................................................ 145 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Gusev, Russia .................................................... 149 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Jebel Waqf as Suwwan, Jordan ....................................... 151 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Jänisjärvi, Russia .................................................. 153 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Kaluga, Russia .................................................... 155 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere, and Maria Virelli Contents ix Kamensk, Russia .................................................. 157 Goro Komatsu, Alessandro Coletta, Maria Libera Battagliere,