A Lithostratigraphic Analysis of the Meteor Crater Ejecta Blanket

Abstract Well‐preserved and easily accessible impact craters on Earth that occur in a sedimentary environment are rare, making Meteor Crater an invaluable resource in impact cratering studies. The Canyon Diablo meteorite that struck the Earth ∼50 ka and formed the 1.2 km diameter Meteor Crater, impacted into distinct, laterally consistent, and well‐recognizable stratified sedimentary rocks. The ability to visually identify and differentiate target rock layers from one another both within the impact crater and ejecta blanket enables us to re‐assess ejecta emplacement models, particularly the simplified overturned flap model. We evaluated the extent of target rock mixing within the proximal ejecta blanket along five transects using drill cuttings from the USGS Meteor Crater sample collection. We separated individual clasts into their respective source rock groups for each sample and then measured their mass and volume. Based on volume percentage, we quantified how much mixing occurred between the different ejected target rock groups both laterally and vertically within the ejecta blanket. Our results indicate that the overturned flap characterization generally applies at scales more than 1 m within ∼200 m of the crater rim (1/3 crater radius). Beyond ∼200 m, the stratigraphic coherence decreases and mixing between adjacent stratigraphic units increases. We also identified fallback ejecta preserved in localized depressions within the continuous debris, likely protected by large Kaibab Limestone blocks that acted as erosional shields. These findings highlight the role of target lithology, block movement, and post‐emplacement processes in shaping ejecta blanket architecture.