Impact structures and events - a Nordic perspective

Impact cratering is one of the fundamental processes in the formation of the Earth and our planetary system, as reflected, for example in the surfaces of Mars and the Moon. The Earth has been covered by a comparable number of impact scars, but due to active geological processes, weathering, sea floor spreading etc, the number of preserved and recognized impact craters on the Earth are limited. The study of impact structures is consequently of great importance in our understanding of the formation of the Earth and the planets, and one way we directly, on the Earth, can study planetary geology.
The Nordic-Baltic area have about thirty confirmed impact structures which makes it one of the most densely crater-populated terrains on Earth. The high density of identified craters is due to the level of research activity, coupled with a deterministic view of what we look for. In spite of these results, many Nordic structures are poorly understood due to the lack of 3D-geophysical interpretations, isotopeor other dating efforts and better knowledge of the amount of erosion and subsequent tectonic modifications.
The Nordic and Baltic impact community is closely collaborating in several impact-related projects and the many researchers （about forty） and PhD students （some seventeen） promise that this level will continue for many more years. The main topics of research include geological, geophysical and geochemical studies in combination with modeling and impact experiments. Moreover, the Nordic and Baltic crust contains some hundred suspect structures which call for detailed analysis to define their origin.
New advanced methods of analyzing geophysical information in combination with detailed geochemical analyses and numerical modeling will be the future basic occupation of the impact scientists of the region. The unique Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary （K-T） occurrences in Denmark form an important source of information in explaining one of the major mass extinctions on Earth.     

Rock magnetic and paleomagnetic study of the Keurusselkä impact structure,central Finland

Abstract– There are 31 proven impact structures in Fennoscandia—one of the most densely crater‐populated areas of the Earth. The recently discovered Keurusselkä impact structure (62°08′ N, 24°37′ E) is located within the Central Finland Granitoid Complex, which formed 1890–1860 Ma ago during the Svecofennian orogeny. It is a deeply eroded complex crater that yields in situ shatter cones with evidence of shock metamorphism, e.g., planar deformation features in quartz. New petrophysical and rock magnetic results of shocked and unshocked target rocks of various lithologies combined with paleomagnetic studies are presented. The suggested central uplift with shatter cones is characterized by increased magnetization and susceptibility. The presence of magnetite and pyrrhotite was observed as carriers for the remanent magnetization. Four different remanent magnetization directions were isolated: (1) a characteristic Svecofennian target rock component A with a mean direction of D = 334.8°, I = 45.6°, α₉₅ = 14.9° yielding a pole (Plat = 51.1°, Plon = 241.9°, A₉₅ = 15.1°), (2) component B, D = 42.4°, I = 64.1°, α₉₅ = 8.4° yielding a pole (Plat = 61.0°, Plon = 129.1°, A₉₅ = 10.6°), (3) component C (D = 159.5°, I = 65.4°, α₉₅ = 10.7°) yielding a pole (Plat = 21.0°, Plon = 39.3°, A₉₅ = 15.6°), and (4) component E (D = 275.5°, I = 62.0°, α₉₅ = 14.4°) yielding a pole (Plat = 39.7°, Plon = 314.3°, A₉₅ = 19.7°). Components C and E are considered much younger, possibly Neoproterozoic overprints, compared with the components A and B. The pole of component B corresponds with the 1120 Ma pole of Salla diabase dyke and is in agreement with the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 1140 Ma from a pseudotachylitic breccia vein in a central part of the structure. Therefore, component B could be related to the impact, and thus represent the impact age.     

Modeling aggregate size distribution of eroded sediment resulting from rain-splash and raindrop impacted flow processes

Soil susceptibility to detachment and transport sub-processes of erosion is generally controled by the aggregate breakdown mechanism. Measuring particle size and aggregation to the estimate erodibility potential of soils is important under erosive rainfall conditions. The Aggregate Size Distribution (ASD) is one of the most important determinants of soil structure along with soil organic matter content for describing the efficiency of applied, sustainable management strategies. This study aimed to compare the performances of three different aggregate size distribution models to predict the characteristic aggregate size parameter (median diameter, D50) for eroded sediment from interrill erosion processes of Rain- Splash Transport (RST) and Raindrop Impacted Flow Transport (RIFT). The ASDs of 1143 collected sediment samples from the RST and RIFT processes were measured and modeled by the Log-normal, Fractal, and Weibull approaches. The D50 value, as a characteristic parameter for aggregate size distributions, derived from the cumulative ASD curve was compared for soils from different land use types and different slope and rainfall intensity conditions. The performance of each model was evaluated using the Mean Square Error (MSE) and Coefficient of Determination (R^2). The Weibull approach was the most accurate model showing the best fit with the lowest MSE values (0.0002 ≤MSE≤ 0.0048) and having the greatest R2 values (0.936≤ R^2≤ 0.998) when compared with the Log-normal and Fractal models. Herewith, for semi-arid land use and soil, specific shape and scale parameters for the Weibull distribution, the respective ASDs were successfully re-generated for modeling the eroded sediment of the simulated RST and RIFT interill processes.     

The Keurusselkä impact structure,Finland—Impact origin confirmed by characterization of planar deformation features in quartz grains

Abstract– Although the meteorite impact origin of the Keurusselkä impact structure (central Finland) has been established on the basis of the occurrence of shatter cones, no detailed microscopic examination of the impactites from this structure has so far been made. Previous microscope investigations of in situ rocks did not yield any firm evidence of shock features (Raiskila et al. 2008; Kinnunen and Hietala 2009). We have carried out microscopic observations on petrographic thin sections from seven in situ shatter cone samples and report here the discovery of planar fractures (PFs) and planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz and feldspar grains. The detection and characterization of microscopic shock metamorphic features in the investigated samples substantiates a meteorite impact origin for the Keurusselkä structure. The crystallographic orientations of 372 PDF sets in 276 quartz grains were measured, using a universal stage (U‐stage) microscope, for five of the seven distinct shatter cone samples. Based on our U‐stage results, we estimate that investigated shatter cone samples from the Keurusselkä structure have experienced peak shock pressures from approximately 2 GPa to slightly less than 20 GPa for the more heavily shocked samples. The decoration of most of the PDFs with fluid inclusions also indicates that these originally amorphous shock features were altered by postimpact processes. Finally, our field observations indicate that the exposed surface corresponds to the crater floor; it is, however, difficult to estimate the exact diameter of the structure and the precise amount of material that has been eroded since its formation.     

Impact of soil compaction and irrigation practices on salt dynamics in the presence of a saline shallow groundwater: An experimental and modelling study

Soil salt accumulation is a widespread problem leading to diminished crop yield and threatening food security in many regions of the world. The soil salinization problem is particularly acute in areas that lack adequate soil water drainage and where a saline shallow water table (WT) is present. In this study, we present laboratory-scale column experiments, extending over a period of more than 400 days that focus on the processes contributing to soil salinization. We specifically examine the combined impact of soil compaction, surface water application model and water quality on salt dynamics in the presence of a saline shallow WT. The soil columns (60 cm height and 16 cm diameter) were packed with an agricultural soil with bulk densities of 1.15 and 1.34 g/cm⁻³ for uncompacted and compacted layers, respectively, and automatically monitored for water content, salinity and pressure. Two surface water compositions are considered: fresh (deionized, DI) and saline water (~3.4 mS/cm). To assess the sensitivity of compaction on salt dynamics, the experiments were numerically modelled with the HYDRUS-1D computer program. The results show that the saline WT led to rapid salinization of the soil column due to capillarity, with the salinity reaching levels much higher than that at the WT. However, compaction layer provided a barrier that limited the downwards moisture percolation and solute transport. Furthermore, the numerical simulations showed that the application of freshwater can temporarily reverse the accumulation of salts in agricultural soils. This irrigation strategy can help, in the short-term, alleviate soil salinization problem. The soil hydraulic properties, WT depth, water quality, evaporation demand and the availability of freshwater all play a role in the practicability of such short-term solutions. The presence of a saline shallow WT would, however, rapidly reverse these temporary measures, leading to the recurrence of topsoil salinization.     

Advanced Lake Shoreline Extraction Approach by Integration of SAR Image and LIDAR Data

Noise and an abnormal distributed-image histogram is the main challenge of using SAR data. From this point of view, this study’s authors motivated the non-use of user-defined input parameters. To achieve this purpose, a fuzzy approach was proposed to extract shoreline from SENTINEL-1A data. The parameters in the processing of the SENTINEL-1A image were generated automatically with LIDAR-intensity-derived object-based segmentation results. The LIDAR-intensity image was segmented with the Mean-shift method. The corresponding result was used to estimate the input parameters for fuzzy clustering of the SENTINEL-1A image. Fuzzy segmentation was proposed, due to the expected large number of values regarding water and land classes except for the pixels along the shoreline. The memberships for land and water classes were separately computed. In the proposed approach, the results from LIDAR and SENTINEL-1A dataset are promising, with differences below 1 pixel (10?m) by evaluation with the used reference vector data.     

Physical properties of Vilppula drill cores and petrographic analysis of associated breccias in Keurusselk? impact structure, central Finland

The Mesoproterozoic deeply eroded Keurusselk? impact structure in central Finland is situated within the ??1860?C1890 Ma Central Finland Granitoid Complex. An estimate for the original size of the structure is 30 km, yielding a 5 km wide central uplift with insitu shatter cones and shock metamorphic features in quartz. Petrophysical and rock magnetic properties of the three shallow drill cores (V-001, V-002 and V-003) in the vicinity of the central uplift are determined in order to assess the dimensions of the central uplifts magnetic anomalies. The drill core lithologies consist of schists (metagraywackes), metavolcanic rocks, gneisses and breccia. Petrophysical properties of the drill core rocks show average densities (D) of 2644?C2752 kg/m³, susceptibilities (??) of 160?C761 × 10^?6 SI and natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of 3?C306 mA/m and Koenigsberger Q ratios of 0.1?C10. Rock magnetic measurements with temperature dependence of susceptibility (??-T) curves and hysteresis indicated mostly paramagnetic behaviour. However, a fraction of fine-grained ferromagnetic minerals (pyrrhotite and magnetite) was detected from all lithologies. Breccia veins cutting the parautochthonous subcrater floor show lower values of petrophysical properties (D, ??, NRM, Q) and this could be related to the impact event. Amphiboles and micas in the breccia are strongly altered and replaced by secondary chlorite. Chloritization may indicate widespread impact-induced hydrothermal alteration of the target rocks or it may be related to regional tectonic shearing. However, planar deformation features in quartz, found from shatter cones in the central uplift area, are decorated with fluid inclusions indicating that alteration by post-impact processes was present.     

The combined RUSLE/SDR approach integrated with GIS and geostatistics to estimate annual sediment flux rates in the semi-arid catchment,Turkey

Quantitative evaluation of the spatial distribution of the erosion risk in any watershed or ecosystem is one of the most important tools for environmentalists, conservationists and engineers to plan natural resource management for the sustainable environment in a long term. This study was performed in the semi-arid catchment of the Saraykoy II Irrigation Dam, Cankiri, located in the transition zone between the Central Anatolia Steppe and the Black Sea Forests of Turkey. The total area of the catchment is 262.31 ha. The principal objectives were to quantify both potential and actual soil erosion risks by the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and to estimate the amount of sediments to be delivered from the hillslope of the catchment to the reservoir of the dam using the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) in combination with the RUSLE model. All factor and sub-factor calculations required for solving the RUSLE model and SDR in the catchment were made spatially using DEM, GIS and Geostatistics. As the main catchment was divided into twenty-five sub-catchments, the predicted actual soil loss (by the model) was 146,657.52 m³ year^?1 and the weighted average of SDR estimated by areal distribution (%) of the sub-watersheds was 0.344 for whole catchment, resulted in 50,450.19 m³ year^?1 sediment arriving to the reservoir. Since the Dam has a total storage capacity of 509 × 10³ m³, the life expectancy of the Dam is estimated as 10.09 year. This estimation indicated that the dam has a relatively short economic life and there is a need for water-catchment management and soil conservation measures to reduce erosion.