Simulation of the Magnetic Anomaly Associated with a Complex Crater Using the Example of the Bosumtwi Crater

Abstract

The impact crater formation on the surface of the Earth and other planetary bodies is accompanied by the action of shock waves on rocks and their displacement into a new position. The shock-wave compression results in the occurrence of the remanent heating of rocks (up to melting and evaporation during the unloading). The direct mechanical action of the shock compression and the remanent heating change the magnetic properties and magnetization, which leads to arising of the magnetic anomaly above the crater area. This work presents an example of the complex analysis of the magnetic anomaly above the well-studied impact crater Bosumtwi (Ghana, a diameter of about 10 km), including the numerical simulation of the crater formation process and the magnetic anomaly model on the basis of simulated parameters of shock compression. The complex model demonstrates a good agreement with data of direct measurements.