The Impact Field Studies Group (IFSG) was a scientific organization emphasizing geologic field research of suspected and confirmed sites of

impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...

s and impact structures. The group is composed of researchers, professionals and students involved in study of impact sites. IFSG's web site is hosted by the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at

University of Tennessee, Knoxville The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

Impact Database

IFSG member David Rajmon maintains for the organization a list which was originally called the Suspected Earth Impact Sites (SEIS) list from 2004 to 2009. It was then renamed to simply the Impact Database. The list classifies impact sites as confirmed, most probable, probable, possible, improbable, rejected and proposed (unevaluated). The list retains rejected entries because they tend to be submitted repeatedly. The IFSG Impact Database accepts submissions of proposed new impact sites. However, they require submitters do some significant homework as listed below first. * The submitter should download the Impact Database or KML (Google Earth) version of it to verify that the site has not already been included, and possibly rejected. * If the submitter is not familiar with the science behind recognition of impact craters, they must read

Traces of Catastrophe ''Traces of Catastrophe: A Handbook of Shock-Metamorphic Effects in Terrestrial Meteorite Impact Structures'' is a book written by Bevan M. French of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a comprehensive technical reference on the science of impact ...

. * They should look at maps to consider other alternatives to impact craters, whether man-made (such as mining pits and ponds) or natural (such as sinkholes and volcanic vents). * The page lists some suggestions how to avoid fixating on the possibility of an impact and consider more open investigation of what the feature is.

Field trips

IFSG arranges field trips to impact-related sites. Past events have included *

Marquez crater Marquez crater is a meteorite crater located in Leon County, Texas near the small town of Marquez about northeast of Austin, Texas, United States. It is in diameter and the age is estimated to be 58 ± 2 million years (Paleocene). The crate ...

, Texas, USA, 2004 * Serpent Mound crater, Ohio, USA, 2004 * Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary (K–T boundary), Texas, USA, 2005 *

Middlesboro crater The Middlesboro crater (or astrobleme) is a meteorite crater in Kentucky, United States. It is named after the city of Middlesborough (both spellings are used), which today occupies much of the crater. The crater is approximately 3 miles (ab ...

, Kentucky, USA and Flynn Creek crater, Tennessee, USA, 2005 *

Sierra Madera crater Sierra Madera crater is a meteorite crater (astrobleme) in southwestern Pecos County, Texas, United States. The central peak of the rebound structure of the impact crater rises above the surrounding land. The peak is visible from U.S. Highway ...

, Texas, USA, 2006 *

Kentland crater The Kentland structure, also known as the Kentland crater or the Kentland disturbed area, is an impact structure located near the town of Kentland in Newton County, Indiana, United States. It was discovered about 1880 when two farmers began to ...

, Indiana, USA, 2007 * Wells Creek crater, Tennessee, USA, 2008 *

Nevada Test Site The Nevada National Security Site (N2S2 or NNSS), known as the Nevada Test Site (NTS) until 2010, is a United States Department of Energy (DOE) reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the ...

, Nevada, USA, 2009 (nuclear explosion craters at NTS were how

shock metamorphism Shock metamorphism or impact metamorphism describes the effects of shock-wave related deformation and heating during impact events. The formation of similar features during explosive volcanism is generally discounted due to the lack of metamorp ...

was studied by

Eugene Shoemaker Eugene Merle Shoemaker (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was an American geologist. He co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn S. Shoemaker and David H. Levy. This comet hit Jupiter in July 1994: the impact was televise ...

and then applied to create the science of impact geology)

References

External links

Impact Field Studies Group
{{Impact cratering on Earth Impact geology Geology organizations