撞击地层学及其研究进展

地质历史中的地外物体撞击地球事件可在撞击点、近源区和远源区分别形成撞击坑熔融岩体、近源溅射岩席及海啸沉积和远源溅射层等一系列撞击地层层序。撞击地层有其独特的物理学和化学特征,与正常沉积作用、火山喷发和板块碰撞等成因的地层显然有别。通过对撞击地层层序的时空变化、所包含的撞击成因矿物、撞击微球粒和微玻璃陨石以及古生物和地球化学异常等的研究,可以了解撞击事件的发生频率、幅度和撞击天体的性质等,也为探索生物和地球环境的灾难性变化及其起因提供了新的思路。     

滇黔地区陆相二叠系—三叠系界线附近粘土岩中发现微球粒

在滇东黔西地区的几条陆相二叠系-三叠系界线地层剖面研究中，二叠系-三叠系界线附近普遍存在1-2层非正常事件成因的粘土岩，并在粘土岩中发现了大量微球粒，依据化学成分，这些微球粒可分为硅质和钡质两类，笔者认为这种含微球粒的粘土岩成因很可能是，陨石撞地球诱发大规模火山爆发，其产物又经历正常喾作用并有非火山和撞击的正常沉积物混入，这些奇异的球粒，可能就是撞击的产物之一。     

焦作矿区太原组宇宙尘的发现及其特征

<正> 宇宙尘的研究,有助于了解太阳系的起源与演化;有助于地层的划分与对比和估计沉积速率等。1876年莫雷(Murray)描述宇宙尘微球粒以来,一些科学家也在深海沉积物中发现了这种磁性微球粒,同时利用现代技术在高空中也收集到微球粒,证实了宇宙尘的存     

鲁西石炭纪事件沉积岩石学特征

对鲁西地区石炭二叠纪煤系火山碎屑岩特征进行了分析,结果表明,火山碎屑物质以晶屑最为常见,常见的火山碎屑岩有凝灰岩、沉凝灰岩、凝灰质灰岩、凝灰质砂岩、凝灰质粉砂岩。还对在太原组煤层中发现的宇宙尘形貌及化学组成进行了研究,经与国内外相关资料对比,认为研究区宇宙尘为Si质玻璃球。提出了研究区石炭纪曾发生过火山地质事件、天体地质事件。      

新疆哈图金矿微球粒的发现及其地质意义

采自新疆哈图金矿区各地层单元和含矿脉体中的基岩人工重砂样品普遍含有一种“微球粒”物质。通过“微球粒”的一般特征，表面、断面结构、矿物组成和化学成分的研究，认为属消融型宇宙尘。并据此提出区内玄武质母岩浆在形成玄武岩的过程中同化、熔融了含宇宙尘的局部老地层物质；为区内金矿化提供含矿热液的花岗岩属重熔型花岗岩。     

新近系-第四系界面撞击事件研究的新进展

通过对中国黄土高原南缘的段家坡黄土-红粘土剖面Ga/M边界(2.48MaBP)上下地层中5种微颗粒和土样微量元素的研究,进一步确定了下更新统午城组黄土底部记录着两次撞击事件的信息。较早的一次记录于L38中,年代为2.53-2.48MaBP,以多种撞击成因或与之有关的微颗粒为标志,且有丰度为58.3×10-12g/g的Ir异常和14.3×10-9g/g的Au异常给与确证。这是一次真正的N/Q界面撞击事件,在气候地层上与从上新统红粘土向更新统黄土的过渡相一致,在磁性地层上与从高斯正极性向松山反极性的转变相联系。较晚的一次记录于S37中,年代为2.43-2.42MaBP,在多种微颗粒标志中,还包括含有Ir异常分别为3.89×10-6g/g的宇宙尘和2.15×10-8g/g的生物球粒。文中用综合成因模式解释了不同特性的撞击记录共存的现象,并指出中国黄土在天文地质研究方面尚蕴藏着大量信息。      

湖北秭归庙河震旦系陡山沱组—灯影组界线层内微球粒的发现？…

在湖北秭归庙河震旦系剖面陡山沱组－灯影组界线层内首次发现了微球粒。这些微球粒多为黑色、浅褐色,呈圆球形,椭球形,直径５０～１００μｍ。通过波谱分析,微球粒主要为石质球,即磷灰石球和硅质球。扫描电子显微镜照片显示出微球粒复杂的显微构造特征。一般认为微球粒有地外和地内两种成因。庙河地区微球粒的发现,为研究界线时期地质事件提供了新的资料。     

陨石撞击成因气凝球粒及撞击烟柱的化学特征

陨石撞击地球表面往往产生灾难性的影响,然而这种影响往往很快地被地表活跃的地质与生物营力所抹去。撞击事件所产生的烟柱,携带大量气体、液滴和尘埃抛溅到距离撞击坑很远的地方,这些烟柱冷凝后成为球形颗粒被保存到地层中,为还原地球早期撞击事件、评估其对环境的影响提供了重要证据。本研究聚焦于撞击烟柱中高温矿物气体冷凝而成的气凝球粒,仔细分析了其中原生尖晶石相的化学成分特征,并以此为窗口推测了烟柱中的气体成分、氧逸度等。我们的研究表明,由于气凝球粒中尖晶石Fe³⁺/Fe^TOT的比值往往很高,而单纯矿物气液平衡本身过于还原,因此气凝球粒的形成需要有撞击烟柱中混杂的空气参与作用。气凝球粒也因而在一定程度上提供了地球早期大气中氧逸度变化以及撞击烟柱不均一性的记录。这一推断与前人依据实验和地球化学分析得到的推测一致,为关于气凝球粒形成机制的数值模拟研究提供了重要启示。     

前寒武纪铁质球粒研究

1987—1989年在国家自然科学基金委员会资助下,在前人工作基础上,对已经发现宇宙尘的某些前寒武纪地层,进行了单层或系统取样,并对其中铁质小球粒进行了多学科综合研究,为了判别球粒渊源和形成机制,也对陨石、火山尘、污染尘进行了一定的工作。     

西藏泽当地区的宇宙尘

宇宙尘也称微陨石、陨砂、微玻璃陨石,我国海南岛、雷州半岛产的玻璃陨石称为雷公墨,其中也有微玻璃陨石,或称为显微熔融石。 宇宙尘最早是1872—1876年英国“挑战”号考察船在大洋底淤泥中发现的,Murray根据这些宇宙尘球粒表面构造特征与铁质陨石相似,认为它们是宇宙物质,称它们为宇宙球(Cosmic spherules)。但当时因技术条件所限,只是推测它们为地球外物质。后     

Mechanical transport of metallogenic materials in endogenic hydrothermal solutions: evidence from the microspherules in micro-disseminated gold deposits,northwestern Sichuan,China

Numerous steel-gray microspherules were recently unexpectedly discovered in ore and rock samples from several disseminated gold deposits hosted in Middle–Upper Triassic turbidites in northwestern Sichuan Province, China. Both nature surfaces and part sections of 227 microspherules have been observed by reflected light microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron microprobe analyses, X-ray energy spectra, X-ray powder patterns, the results reveal them to be cosmic dust. It is the first discovery of cosmic dust in this kind of deposits in China.The size of the microspherules ranges from 25 to 185 μm and generally is less than 100 μm. According to their composition, they belong to chromium-rich iron cosmic dust. The microspherules have complex, diverse and diagnostic microscope structures and textures, and such as very distinct airprint structure that are compatible with extraterrestrial material. Variation of geochemical content of the microspherules in the gold deposits in generally positively correlates with both the Ir content of the enclosing strata and the intensity of mineralization and hydrothermal alteration. The abnormally high content of Ir is important evidence for an extraterrestrial source for the microspherules. The fact that a geological body with strong alteration and mineralization is rich in microspherules may raise a new concept: Under endogenic conditions, it is not only possible but also realistic for mineralized material to be transported mechanically, in addition to the generally accepted chemical transport of ore constituents in hydrothermal solution because it is obviously impossible for cosmic spherules to fall directly from space into cemented hydrothermal ore veins more than 1 km deep in the earth.     

Discovery of Cosmic Spherules from the Mesoproterozoic Strata and its Significance—in Case of the Ming Tombs Area, Beijing

This study covers cosmic spherules derived from the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation in the Ming Tombs area, Beijing. The cosmic spherules include iron oxide cosmic spherules, carbonaceous chondrites, and atomic iron “steely bead”-shaped cosmic spherules. The mineral assemblage of silicon carbide, forsterite, zircon, and glass spherules and fragments were picked from melt-silicified carbonate of the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation (ca. 1625 Ma). Cosmic spherule assemblages are solely discovered from sedimentary rocks in China. Platinum group elements (PGE) were determined for the first time in cosmic spherules and associated minerals. PGE comparative observation between meteorite and cosmic spherules is presented in this study. It is recognized that an extraterrestrial meteorite impact event might have occurred in the Dahongyu Stage. The main evidence is a large number of iron cosmic spherules in silicified oncolitic limestone, and associated cosmic silicon carbide, glass spherules, and fragments, as well as the presence of forsterite. The impact-volcanic crater is characteristic of a big black shale block dropped into the bended silicified limestone.     

浙江长兴煤山二叠-三叠系混生层1中微球粒的发现及其意义

<正> 浙江长兴煤山是中国南部上二叠统长兴阶和二叠、三叠系界线层型剖面(共A,B,C,D,E,Z六条剖面)的所在地。孙亦因等(1984)在D剖面的界线粘土及其上覆的灰黑色泥岩中发现铱异常,提出了二叠、三叠纪交替时可能发生了一次地外来的陨击事件。然而,人们更关心的似乎是作为铱异常物质来源最可靠证据的宇宙尘或微玻陨石是否也存     

Discovery of Cosmic Dust in Gold Deposits in Northwestern Sichuan and Its Significance

Abstract In recent years, a considerable amount of microscopic spherules have been found in concentrates recovered from some stratabound gold deposits occurring in Middle-Upper Triassic turbidite series in northwestern Sichuan. Study indicates that these spherules are cosmic dust. It is the first time that cosmic dust of extraterrestrial origin has been found in hydrothermal gold deposits in China. The spherules are steel-grey in colour and show metallic luster. Their grain size is commonly less than 100 μm. According to their composition, they belong to chromium - rich iron cosmic dust. The spherules have complex and diverse microscopic structures and textures, i.e. they show a very distinct Widmanstāten structure. The variation of cosmic dust content in gold deposits exhibits a positive correlation with the mineralization intensities and hydrothermal alteration. Such a relation indicates that the ore substances may transport not only mechanically but also may chemically in hydrothermal solutions.     

Volcanism at the Permian-Triassic Boundary in South China and Its Effects on Mass Extinction

This paper discusses the clayrocks widespread at the Permian-Triassic boundary, which are mostly of volcanic origin. Volcanogenetic textures, structures and minerals such as high-temperature quartz are found in clayrocks at the Permian-Triassic boundary in many places. Thousands of microspherules have been collected from the Boundary clayrocks, many of which exhibit the typical features of the process from melting to cooling and solidification. indicating that they were formed by volcanic eruption or extraterrestrial impact. Volcanic effects on the Permian-Triassic mass extinction may be reflected in conodonts, algae and ammonoids. The Boundary clayrocks are found in many Permian-Triassic sections along the coast of Tethys. Their orighin remains to be studied.     

Extraterrestrial microspherules from Bajada del Diablo,Chubut, Argentina

The Quaternary infilling of a circular structure located in Bajada del Diablo, Chubut Province, Argentina has been proposed as a crater strewn field in previous studies. Here we report the finding of about 65 microspherules collected in a trench excavated in the center of the structure. The majority of hand-picked specimens are single, but some of them exhibit compound forms. The single specimens are spherical with a mean size of 137 μm, whereas the more complex samples show peduncles and drop shapes. Dendritic crystal growth is recognized in the internal structure of some broken microspherules. Preliminary chemical composition from the surface and center of microspherules was determined by energy dispersive spectrometry employing EDS. Quantitative EMPA and XRD analysis indicate that the microspherules are mainly composed of Fe and O with magnetite, Fe0 with subordinate wüstite. Following consideration of possible anthropogenic and volcanic origins, these spherulites are ascribed to an extraterrestrial input. An accumulation rate of 47 microspherules per m²/yr is estimated for the studied sediments. This value is two orders of magnitude higher than the reference flux for cosmic dust estimated for the last 1 Ma in the Transantarctic Mountains. The microspherules might have been generated as a byproduct of asteroid entry in the atmosphere.     

宇宙尖晶石与地球尖晶石的比较

本文就宇宙尖晶石的形态，化学组成，及产状特征作了概要性论述，对它的成因机制 作了介绍；并和地球尖晶石作比较，表明它们之 间的成因和形成条件的差异，突出了宇宙尖晶石的特点，即宇宙尖晶石为陨石物质在大气氧化过程中结晶而成，无例外的都有一个较高的氧化态和高镍含量。在地质纪录中宇宙尖晶石的发现具有双重意义，它既是地外物质的标志，又反映了增生事件独特的形成环境。     

深海沉积物中硅质小球的稀土元素丰度特征

近年来对宇宙尘的研究已成为宇宙化学和天文地质学界中的一个很活跃的领域。作者利用中子活化法测定了从深海沉积物中挑选出的硅质和玻璃质小球中的微量元素的含量。结果表明,这些硅质和玻璃质小球主要属地外来的物质。