The Economic Potential of Terrestrial Impact Craters

Abstract

Like concentrations of economic resources, terrestrial impact structures are the result of relatively rare geologic events. Economic resources occur in a number of terrestrial impact structures. After providing a context by briefly summarizing the salient points of the terrestrial impact record and the characteristics of impact craters, the relationship between impact craters and economic resources is explored. Approximately 25% of the known terrestrial impact craters are associated with some form of economic resources and ∼ 12% currently are exploited or have been exploited in the recent past. The resources range from world-class ore deposits to relatively localized occurrences of materials. The larger economic deposits are discussed under the genetic classification of progenetic, syngenetic, and epigenetic. The progenetic deposits include the iron and uranium ore exposed at Ternovka, Russia, and Carswell (Saskatchewan), Canada, which are exploitable because of uplift in the center of complex impact stru...