Timescales of shock processes in martian meteorites

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There are currently 55 Martian meteorites in the world's collection. These meteorites were ejected into space by high-velocity collisions (impacts) of asteroids or comets with the surface of Mars, accelerating rocks to velocities >5 km/s. The extreme physical conditions produced during the impact events cause unique features in the target rocks, called shock metamorphic effects. My research focuses on reading the history of the meteorites from the minerals and textures produced by shock metamorphism, revealing important clues about how material is exchanged between planets. In particular, high temperatures and pressures cause small pockets of the rock to become molten, called shock melt pockets. Minerals crystallize as these melts cool from high temperatures. Large amounts of Martian atmosphere are also found in the shock melt pockets, as this component is forced into the rock during impact.