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Coesite and stishovite in the Vredefort Dome, South Africa

Abstract

THE high pressure silica polymorphs, coesite and stishovite have been discovered in very thin pseudotachylite veins developed in Witwatersrand quartzites of the collar of the Vredefort Dome. They are associated with microcrystalline fibrous quartz which is interpreted as reverted diaplectic silica glass. The presence of these minerals strongly supports the interpretation of the Vredefort Dome as an astrobleme.

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MARTINI, J. Coesite and stishovite in the Vredefort Dome, South Africa. Nature 272, 715–717 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/272715a0

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