Shock metamorphism of quartz in nature and experiment: I. Basic observation and theory*

Quartz, as a ubiquitous mineral constituent of the Earth's crust, displays the greatest variety of well‐defined residual shock effects among all rock‐forming minerals. It represents an important and most reliable shock barometer and thermometer for terrestrial impact formations. In this paper, the current status of knowledge about the nature, origin, and experimental pressure‐temperature calibration of shock‐induced deformations and phase transformations is reviewed for natural and experimental shock conditions.