Evidence from the Vredefort Granophyre Dikes points to crustal relaxation following basin-size impact cratering

The timescale of the modification stage of basin-sized impact structures is not well understood. Owing to ca. 10 km of erosion since its formation, the Vredefort impact structure, South Africa, is an ideal testing ground for deciphering post-impact modification. Here, we present geophysical and geochemical evidence from the Vredefort Granophyre Dikes, which were derived from the - now eroded - Vredefort impact melt sheet. The dikes have been …