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An impact crater in northeast South Carolina inferred from potential field data
Author(s) -
Talwani Pradeep,
Wildermuth Eric,
Parkinson Chris D.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl017051
Subject(s) - geology , impact crater , petrography , basement , impact structure , paleozoic , borehole , seismology , geophysics , geomorphology , paleontology , archaeology , physics , astronomy , history
A comparison of recently acquired gravity data with aeromagnetic data for northeastern South Carolina revealed the presence of coincident circular anomalies near Johnsonville. These ∼11 km diameter circular lows meet the geophysical criteria for those associated with buried complex impact craters. Within the magnetic low is a northwest‐southeast structure enclosed by two concentric “moat‐like” lows to its northeast and southwest. The pattern of surface streams passing above the structure is also consistent with the interpretation of a buried impact crater. Fortuitously, a drill core was available from a borehole drilled within these lows. The core includes ∼10 m of Paleozoic crystalline Piedmont basement. Petrographic analysis of basement samples from the core revealed indications of shock metamorphic texture.