Shatter Cones K-Pg Boundary
Explore authentic meteorite impact rocks, shatter cones, impact ejecta, and K-Pg boundary specimens from key impact sites worldwide. The K-Pg boundary, formerly called the K-T or K/T boundary, records the asteroid impact associated with the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
Evidence of Meteorite Impacts
Shatter cones, shocked minerals, impact breccias, suevite, pseudotachylite, impact melt rock, tektites, microtektites, spherules, and planar deformation features (PDFs) can preserve evidence of ancient meteorite, asteroid, and comet impacts.
Questions About K-Pg (K-T boundary), Shatter Cones & Extinction
Are K-Pg and K-T or K/T boundary the same?
Yes. The K-Pg boundary is the modern name for what was formerly called the K-T or K/T boundary. It marks the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition approximately 66 million years ago and is associated with the Chicxulub impact and end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
What was the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event?
The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event occurred about 66 million years ago and eliminated roughly three-quarters of Earth's plant and animal species, including all non-avian dinosaurs. The Chicxulub asteroid impact is recognized as the principal cause and produced severe environmental disruption involving ejecta, atmospheric dust and aerosols, reduced sunlight, and major changes to climate and ecosystems.
What is the K-T crater?
The term K-T crater commonly refers to the Chicxulub impact crater, buried beneath Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and extending offshore into the Gulf of Mexico. The impact occurred approximately 66 million years ago and is linked to the K-Pg, formerly K-T, mass extinction.
What is a shatter cone?
A shatter cone is a distinctive conical or fan-shaped fracture surface produced when an intense shock wave passes through rock. Properly documented shatter cones are recognized as diagnostic evidence of meteorite impact.