Stop 16 at Ries

Retired quarry at Helheim
Photo: G. Osinski, University of Western Ontario
Location: 3 kilometers within the southwest crater rim
Scale: Height of the cliff is approximately 60 meters

We’re located approximately 3 kilometers within the rim of the Ries structure in Malm limestones that were faulted and fractured as the crater walls collapsed inwards during the final modification stage of crater formation. Similar to Gundelsheim (stop 10), which is opposite to where we are now in the structure, we can see a layer of Bunte Breccia overlying the limestones. There is also the same kind of striated surface near the top of the limestone, although we can’t see it here at Holheim as the quarry is completely overgrown by vegetation. This supports the conclusions we drew from the Gundelsheim quarry, which was after the Bunte Breccia was ejected out of the crater through the atmosphere, it was deposited onto the surface and continued to flow for considerable distances.