African meteorite impact craters: characteristics and geological importance

Abslzact Geologists have realized that impact cratering is the single most important surface-forming and modifying process for the other terrestrial planets and the satellites of all planets. The recognition of impact cratering as an important geological process on earth has been rather slow. However, geologists are now realizing that giant impacts have had a determining influence on the geological and biological evolution of our planet. The study of impact craters allows important conclusions, not only about the origin mid history of our solar system and its planets, but also about a fundamentally important geological process. In addition, impact craters may have a definite economic importance as some craters have been shown to contain important mineral or oil deposits. F'dtesn meteorite impact craters have so far been identified on the African continent:. Amguid (Algeria), Aomunga (Chad), Aouelloul (Mauritania), B.P. (Libya), Bosumtwi (Ghana), Highbury (Zimbabwe), Kalkkop (South Africa), Oasis (Libya), Ouarkziz (Algeria), Roter Kamm (Namibia), Saitpan (South Africa), Talemzane (Algeria), Tenoumer (Mauritania), T'm Bider (Algeria), and V~:lefort (South Africa). This paper presents an overview of these craters, as well as a discussion of impact processes, the recognition of impact cTaters, and the geological arid economic importance of impact craters.