The picture shows a high-density crystal, coesite, which is formed at high pressure. When shock wave pressure reaches 50 GPa, quartz becomes molten silicon dioxide. As the pressure reduces to 2.6 GPa to 13 GPa, coesite crystallises from the molten silicon dioxide. The Xiuyan Crater was confirmed as an impact crater because the research group found a large amount of coesite in the drilled cores.   Close