Universität zu Köln

Nienhaus, Hannah ORCID: 0009-0000-5684-9626, Yogeshwar, Pritam ORCID: 0000-0001-9425-9838, Mörbe, Wiebke ORCID: 0000-0002-3959-6951, Tezkan, Bülent ORCID: 0000-0002-3326-6353, Liu, Yajun, Lushetile, Bufelo and Melles, Martin ORCID: 0000-0003-0977-9463 (2026). A geophysical investigation of the Roter Kamm impact crater, Namibia. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 61 (7). pp. 1386-1398. Wiley. ISSN 1086-9379

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Abstract

The Roter Kamm impact crater is located in the southern Namib Desert. The crater has a diameter of 2.5 km and belongs to the category of simple, bowl‐shaped impact craters, with an elevated rim of fractured target rock. The crater's interior is completely buried beneath sediments, preventing extensive surface investigations of the bedrock topography. Geophysical investigations were carried out to better characterize the sediment cover, the resulting shape of the crater, and the infill of the impact structure. Two electromagnetic techniques, transient electromagnetics and audiomagnetotellurics, were used to study the subsurface resistivity structure across and beyond the Roter Kamm crater along two transects. The postimpact sediments inside the crater reach thicknesses up to 340 m. The surface of the underlying brecciated zone exhibits the characteristic bowl‐shape of a simple crater. A prominent conductive anomaly was found inside the sedimentary succession, indicating the presence of water. The boundary between fluid‐saturated and dry material likely marks the transition from postimpact sediments to impact breccia. Our results provide the first geophysical model of the sedimentary infill of the Roter Kamm impact crater derived from electromagnetic methods.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Nienhaus, Hannah UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5684-9626 UNSPECIFIED Yogeshwar, Pritam UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9425-9838 UNSPECIFIED Mörbe, Wiebke moerbe@geo.uni-koeln.de https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3959-6951 UNSPECIFIED Tezkan, Bülent UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3326-6353 UNSPECIFIED Liu, Yajun UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Lushetile, Bufelo UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Melles, Martin UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0977-9463 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-811072
Identification Number:	10.1111/maps.70088
Journal or Publication Title:	Meteoritics & Planetary Science
Volume:	61
Number:	7
Page Range:	pp. 1386-1398
Number of Pages:	13
Date:	8 July 2026
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	1086-9379
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences > Department of Geosciences > Institute of Geology and Mineralog Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences > Department of Geosciences > Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology
Subjects:	Earth sciences Geography and travel
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/81107