Meteoritic Impact and Deformation of Quartz

Abstract
Quartz deformation lamellae parallel to c{0001} and planar features parallel to ω{101̅3} appear to be both characteristic of and reliable criteria for quartz deformed by shock due to impact by meteorite or comet. These features are readily distinguished from microstructures, induced during tectonic deformation, by differences in optical properties or spatial and crystallographic orientations of statistically sound populations, or in both.