Earthwatcher's photos with the keyword: Ries

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. Exposure of Bunte Breccia (purple-grey) and Suevite (pale grey) in the Aumühle quarry near Oettingen located near the centre of the crater. Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. Bunte Breccia is formed from discrete rock masses deposited as a coherent ejecta blanket following the meteorite impact. Torrential rain at the time of taking this photo!

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. Exposure of Bunte Breccia (purple-grey) and Suevite (pale grey) in the Aumühle quarry near Oettingen located near the centre of the crater. Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. Bunte Breccia is formed from discrete rock masses deposited as a coherent ejecta blanket following the meteorite impact. Torrential rain at the time of taking this photo!

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. Exposure of Bunte Breccia (purple-grey) and Suevite (pale grey) in the Aumühle quarry near Oettingen located near the centre of the crater. Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. Bunte Breccia is formed from discrete rock masses deposited as a coherent ejecta blanket following the meteorite impact. Torrential rain at the time of taking this photo!

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater. A panoramic view constructed from the previous views stitched together.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater. A close-up view showing the fractured nature of the limestones.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater. A close-up view showing the fractured nature of the limestones.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. The abandoned quarry at Ziswingen: tilted and fractured Jurassic limestones occur within the 'mega-block zone' of allochtonous rocks near the southern rim of the Ries Crater.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. General view of the Altenbürg quarry located on the southwest crater rim. Suevite (pale buff) is in near vertical contact with disturbed Jurassic limestones (Malm - light grey). Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. This quarry was crucial in the development of the correct understanding and interpretation of the Ries crater. The identification of coesite, stishovite (high temperature and pressure varieties of quartz) and diamond in the suevite enabled the latter to be identified as a meteorite impact ejecta blanket rather than of volcanic origin.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. General view of the Altenbürg quarry located on the southwest crater rim. Suevite (pale buff) is in near vertical contact with disturbed Jurassic limestones (Malm - light grey). Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. This quarry was crucial in the development of the correct understanding and interpretation of the Ries crater. The identification of coesite, stishovite (high temperature and pressure varieties of quartz) and diamond in the suevite enabled the latter to be identified as a meteorite impact ejecta blanket rather than of volcanic origin.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. Close-up view of suevite in the Altenbürg quarry located on the southwest crater rim. Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. The darker blue-grey fragments are partly devitrified glass with many small spherules formed from condensed liquid melt. This quarry was crucial in the development of the correct understanding and interpretation of the Ries crater. The identification of coesite, stishovite (high temperature and pressure varieties of quartz) and diamond in the suevite enabled the latter to be identified as a meteorite impact ejecta blanket rather than of volcanic origin.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. Suevite exposure in the Altenbürg quarry located on the southwest crater rim. Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. This quarry was crucial in the development of the correct understanding and interpretation of the Ries crater. The identification of coesite, stishovite (high temperature and pressure varieties of quartz) and diamond in the suevite enabled the latter to be identified as a meteorite impact ejecta blanket rather than of volcanic origin.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. General view of the Altenbürg quarry located on the southwest crater rim. Suevite (pale buff) is in near vertical contact with disturbed Jurassic limestones (Malm - light grey). Suevite is formed from the fallout of the partially melted and vaporised ejecta debris shot high into the atmosphere as a result of the meteorite impact when temperatures and pressures almost instantaneously reached 20,000°C and several million bar. This quarry was crucial in the development of the correct understanding and interpretation of the Ries crater. The identification of coesite, stishovite (high temperature and pressure varieties of quartz) and diamond in the suevite enabled the latter to be identified as a meteorite impact ejecta blanket rather than of volcanic origin.

Ries Meteorite Crater Geopark. View north-east over the Ries Crater from Ofnethöhlen quarry located on part of the 'mega-block' zone of allochtonous rocks shunted laterally by the force of the meteorite impact. The town of Nördlingen is visible in the middle distance. The higher ground on the distant skyline is the far side of the main crater rim.