Polycrystalline samples of the alpha-quartz phase of GeO2 (q-GeO2), re
covered from peak shock compressions of 5, 6.8, and 10 GPa, have been
examined by x-ray diffraction, thermoluminescence, and Raman technique
s. The measurements show that q-GeO2 irreversibly amorphizes above 6.8
GPa. The estimates of the shear band temperature suggest that the mec
hanism of shock-induced amorphization in q-GeO2 is a solid-solid one,
in contrast to that in SiO2 quartz which has both solid-solid and fusi
on-quenched components.