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Health & Science4h 20m ago
Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Shawn Wright discovered a new type of impactite, 'shocked soil,' while doing field work at Lonar crater in the Deccan region of India.
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Lonar crater, Deccan region, India
Who
Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Shawn Wright, Joseph Michalski of Hong Kong University
What
Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Shawn Wright discovered a new type of impactite, 'shocked soil,' while doing field work at Lonar crater in the Deccan region of India.
When
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:39:01 GMT · 4h 20m ago
Where
Lonar crater, Deccan region, India ·
Why
A meteoroid impact generates an energy wave that produces glass as it propagates through material before rapidly cooling.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discovery of 'shocked soil' on Earth, which is rare due to weathering, suggests that such impactites might be more prevalent on the Moon and Mars and could provide valuable information about past microbes, organics, water, and atmospheric conditions on those bodies.
Story chain
4 events in this thread- Health & Science4h 20m agoPlanetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Shawn Wright discovered 'shocked soil,' a new material type of impactite, while doing field work in the Lonar crater in India.Open article
- Health & Science4h 20m agoPlanetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Shawn Wright discovered 'shocked soil,' a new type of impactite, while doing field work among the basaltic volcanic rock of Lonar crater in the Deccan region of India.Open article
- Health & Science4h 20m agoPlanetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Shawn Wright discovered 'shocked soil' while doing field work in the Lonar crater in India.Open article
- Currently Reading4h 20m agoPlanetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Shawn Wright discovered a new type of impactite, 'shocked soil,' while doing field work at Lonar crater in the Deccan region of India.