In this episode, we discuss impact craters, including how they are identified, the processes that occur within them, and how shockwaves from impacts can alter the magnetic characteristics of surrounding rocks.

Banusha Kugabalan, a geophysics PhD student at Imperial College London, joins us. She researches the shock remanent magnetisation in rocks and meteorites. The remanent magnetisation is the permanent magnetism preserved in rocks. As rocks form, the magnetic moments within crystals align with the Earth's magnetic field which can be used to date key events, such as the timing of meteorite impacts.

Enjoy!