Impacts in Precambrian Shields

One of the most fundamental geologic processes that have shaped the surfaces of the solar system's planetary bodies is the impact of solid bodies. It affects the surface of a planetary body not only by creating a visible crater, but also by modifying, locally and temporally, the crater subsurface and a wide area around the excavated crater. In particular, terrestrial impact structures are in the unique position of providing the only ground truth available for investigating the impact cratering process. The establishment of shock metamorphic effects on rocks as reliable criteria for assigning impact origins to terrestrial structures has led to the recognition of over 160 impact structures on Earth over the past 40 years. Investigation of these structures is fundamental for validating theoretical and experimental impact studies.