How are impact craters different from volcanic craters?
A) They aren't. Scientists have to use other methods to determine whether the crater is volcanic or from asteroids.
B) Impact craters are larger than volcanic craters.
C) Impact craters involve heating of underlying rocks and volcanic craters do not.
D) Volcanic craters involve intense pressure on underlying rocks and impact craters do not.
E) Impact craters involve pressure and heating to rocks in much greater degrees than with volcanic processes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Impact craters involve much greater degrees of pressure and heating to rocks compared to volcanic processes, which generally involve less extreme conditions. This difference in intensity is due to the large amount of energy involved in an impact event, such as from an asteroid or comet colliding with the Earth's surface. In contrast, volcanic craters are formed by magma rising to the surface and erupting, which can cause explosions and ash clouds but typically involve less force than an impact.

How Are Impact Craters Different from Volcanic Craters