Evidence for a shock-metamorphic breccia within a buried impact crater,Lake Raeside,Yilgarn Craton,Western Australia

Mineral exploration drilling 60 km west of Leonora in 2008 intersected >95 m of poorly consolidated granitoid-dominated breccia at the base of a Cenozoic paleochannel beneath Lake Raeside. The breccia, initially interpreted as a kimberlite, is composed of poorly consolidated fragments of granitic gneiss, felsite and metamorphosed mafic rock within a matrix of fine to medium-grained breccia. Microscopic examination revealed quartz grains displaying well-developed planar deformation features (PDFs) dominated by the ω? {1013} planar set, diaplectic silica glass and diaplectic plagioclase glass. These features constitute the diagnostic hallmarks of shock metamorphism owing to high-velocity impact of a large meteorite or asteroid. The PDFs in quartz grains of the breccia are distinctly different from metamorphic deformation lamellae produced tectonically or in diatremes. Airborne total magnetic intensity data suggest an outline of an 11 km-diameter crater, consistent with the significant thickness of the shock-metamorphosed breccia at >95 m, suggestive of the existence of a large impact structure.     

滇西南发现石英面状变形构造

采自云南省西南部澜沧江中游临景大桥以东约2km、勐戛河下游北岸的岩石样品的薄片中发现了非常清晰的石英面状变形构造(PDFs)。根据伦敦大学矿物岩石与冰物理实验室费氏台(universalstage)测量分析结果、样品所在地地层时代特征和航卫遥感图像特征的综合分析,认为该PDFs属陨击成因,其陨击事件大约发生在白垩/第三纪边界(距今65Ma),所引起的冲击变质作用已接近最高级阶段的高压二氧化硅相,样品位置接近陨击坑的中心。     

岫岩陨石坑石英的冲击变质特征

直径1.8 km的岫岩陨石坑位于辽宁省岫岩县苏子沟镇。坑区基岩为下元古界变质岩,由变粒岩、片麻岩、角闪岩、透闪岩和大理岩等岩石组成。坑内充填的撞击角砾岩石英颗粒呈现典型的冲击变质特征,其中包括沿着石英(0001)、{10 11}、{10 12}和{10 13}等方向发育的多组面状变形页理,以及石英发生相转变形成二氧化硅玻璃和柯石英。产出在二氧化硅玻璃中的针状和粒状柯石英表明从二氧化硅熔体中结晶形成。石英面状变形页理的发育特点限定冲击压力高达35 GPa,而二氧化硅熔体玻璃的存在表明冲击压力高达50 GPa。当压力释放和温度升高,二氧化硅熔体首先被形成。随着压力进一步释放到2.5～13 GPa,柯石英从二氧化硅熔体中结晶析出。岫岩陨石坑中石英面状变形页理和柯石英的存在提供了矿物冲击变质的诊断性证据。     

岫岩陨石坑撞击角砾岩的岩相学和冲击变质特征SCIEI北大核心CSCD

撞击角砾岩是陨石撞击过程形成的特有岩石种类,是研究撞击成坑过程、陨石坑定年、矿物岩石冲击变质的理想对象。岫岩陨石坑是一个直径1800m的简单陨石坑,坑内有大量松散堆积的撞击角砾岩。本研究通过光学显微镜、费氏台、电子探针、X射线荧光光谱仪、电感耦合等离子质谱仪等分析测试手段,主要研究了岫岩陨石坑撞击角砾岩的岩相学和冲击变质特征,并在此基础上讨论了撞击角砾岩的形成过程和陨石坑的形貌特征。岫岩陨石坑内产出有三种撞击角砾岩,分别是来自上部的玄武质角砾岩和复成分岩屑角砾岩,以及底部的含熔体角砾岩。组成玄武质角砾岩和复成分岩屑角砾岩的碎屑受到的冲击程度较低,仅有少量石英发育面状变形页理,指示不超过20GPa的冲击压力。而组成含熔体角砾岩的碎屑受到了很强的冲击,发育了熔融硅酸盐玻璃、石英面状变形页理、柯石英、二氧化硅玻璃、击变长石玻璃、莱氏石等冲击变质特征,指示的峰值压力超过50GPa。本研究证实了含熔体角砾岩通常产出在简单陨石坑底部,由瞬间坑的坑缘和坑壁垮塌的岩石碎屑与坑底的冲击熔体混合形成。岫岩坑的真实深度是495m,真实深度与直径的比值为0.275,符合简单陨石坑的尺寸特征。陨石坑内的撞击角砾岩中心厚度为188m,与直径之比为0.104,略低于其它简单坑,可能是受丘陵地貌影响导致改造阶段垮塌到坑内的岩石角砾偏少。     

U–Pb isotopic dating of titanite microstructures: potential implications for the chronology and identification of large impact structures

Identifying and dating large impact structures is challenging, as many of the traditional shock indicator phases can be modified by post-impact processes. Refractory accessory phases, such as zircon, while faithful recorders of shock wave passage, commonly respond with partial U–Pb age resetting during impact events. Titanite is an accessory phase with lower Pb closure temperature than many other robust chronometers, but its potential as indicator and chronometer of impact-related processes remains poorly constrained. In this study, we examined titanite grains from the Sudbury (Ontario, Canada) and Vredefort (South Africa) impact structures, combining quantitative microstructural and U–Pb dating techniques. Titanite grains from both craters host planar microstructures and microtwins that show a common twin–host disorientation relationship of 74° about <102>. In the Vredefort impact structure, the microtwins deformed internally and developed high- and low-angle grain boundaries that resulted in the growth of neoblastic crystallites. U–Pb isotopic dating of magmatic titanite grains with deformation microtwins from the Sudbury impact structure yielded a ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 1851?±?12 Ma that records either the shock heating or the crater modification stage of the impact event. The titanite grains from the Vredefort impact structure yielded primarily pre-impact ages recording the cooling of the ultra-high-temperature Ventersdorp event, but domains with microtwins or planar microstructures show evidence of U–Pb isotopic disturbance. Despite that the identified microtwins are not diagnostic of shock-metamorphic processes, our contribution demonstrates that titanite has great potential to inform studies of the terrestrial impact crater record.     

A TEM investigation of shock metamorphism in quartz from the Vredefort dome, South Africa

The origin of the Vredefort structure in South Africa is still debated. Several causes have been discussed, namely asteroid impact, internal gas explosion or tectonic processes. Evidence of dynamic rock deformation is pervasive in the form of planar features in quartz grains, shatter cones, veins of pseudotachylite and occurrence of coesite and stishovite (high-pressure quartz polymorphs). A number of these characteristics is widely believed to support an impact origin. However, the planar features in quartz, which are generally considered as one of the strongest indicators of impact, are in the Vredefort case considered as anomalous when compared with those from accepted impact structures.

We have investigated by optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) the defect microstructures in quartz grains from different lithologies sampled at various places at the Vredefort structure. Whatever the locality, only thin mechanical Brazil twin lamellae in the basal plane are observed by TEM. So far, such defects have only been found in quartz from impact sites, but always associated with sets of thin glass lamellae in rhombohedral planes 10−1n with n = 1, 2, 3, and 4. At the scale of the optical microscope, Brazil twins in (0001) are easily detected in Vredefort quartz grains because of the numerous tiny fluid inclusions which decorate them. Similar alignments of tiny fluid inclusions parallel to other planes are also detected optically, but at the TEM scale no specific shock defects are detected along their traces. If these inclusion alignments initially were shock features, they are now so severely weathered that they can no longer be recognized as unambiguous shock lamellae. Fine-grained coesite was detected in the vicinity of narrow pseudotachylite veinlets in a quartzite specimen, but stishovite was not found, even in areas where its occurrence was previously reported. Finally, definite evidence of high-temperature annealing was observed in all the samples. These observations lead us to the conclusion that our findings regarding microdeformation in quartz are consistent with an impact origin for the Vredefort structure. Most of the original shock defects are now overprinted by an intense post-shock annealing episode. Only the thin mechanical twin lamellae in the basal plane have survived.     

撞击过程和内太阳系撞击历史

在太阳系的形成和演化过程中,发生在天体物质间的撞击作用是最重要的地质过程之一。撞击构造是地外天体表面最常见的地貌单元,大部分天体的地貌演化主要受撞击作用控制。撞击过程产生的温度、压力和应变速率比岩石圈内的其他地质过程高多个数量级,形成广泛分布的撞击产物,如气化物、熔融物、冲击变质和变形等。虽然撞击过程转瞬即逝,撞击作用向天体注入能量并改变其内、外结构,对天体的圈层系统产生长远影响。持续撞击在天体表面累积了大量的撞击坑,撞击坑的空间分布反映了受外来撞击的历史。内太阳系在～3.8 Ga前的撞击频率更高,但是大量撞击盆地是否灾变式的密集形成仍在持续争议;～3.8 Ga以来的撞击频率趋于稳定,但是缺乏具有明确事件指代性的标定样品。在同一天体上,撞击坑的空间密度指示了相应地质单元的形成时间,因此撞击坑统计常被用于估算地外天体表面地质单元的相对年龄。基于月球软着陆探测任务返回的样品,前人已约束了不同直径的月球撞击坑的形成频率,进而建立了使用撞击坑统计估算月球表面地质单元的绝对模式年龄的方法。另外,内太阳系天体可能经历了相似的撞击历史,因此地-月系统的撞击频率已被缩放至其他类地行星。撞击坑统计是探索...     

Buried impact basins,the evolution of planetary surfaces and the Chicxulub multi‐ring crater

Impact craters are distinctive landforms on Moon, Mars, Venus and other bodies of the Solar System. In contrast, the Earth has few craters, due to the dynamic nature of the planet, where craters and other geological structures are destroyed, modified or covered. Planetary missions have also shown that in other worlds where craters are numerous and well preserved, the crater record has been modified, through the identification of buried structures. Studies of the concealed crater record have major implications for the crater‐size frequency distribution and crater‐counting chronologies. On Earth, Chicxulub is an example of a large multi‐ring buried basin. Its study provides clues for the investigation other planetary surfaces. In addition, geophysical surveys have unravelled its deep 3‐D structure, providing data and constraints for new planetary missions.     

Variations in shock deformation at the Slate Islands impact structure,Lake Superior,Canada

A progressive change in the level of shock deformation is documented in autochthonous rocks from the central uplift of the Slate Islands impact structure, Lake Superior. Correlation of these observations, which are based mainly on the relative frequency of planar features of specific crystallographic orientation in quartz, with experimental data is used to estimate the average shock pressures recorded in the samples studied. Recorded pressures range from 5.8 to 15.3 GPa and generally increase towards the proposed shock centre. Variations in the shock response of quartz of different grain size and texture are observed within and between samples. It is apparent that large interlocking quartz grains in eyes record approximately 15–20% higher levels of shock deformation than small grains in mosaics or large isolated phenocrysts. These variations in shock deformation are attributed to the effect of shock wave reverberations between grains and length of shock pulse duration within grains.Comparison of the Slate Islands data with similar observations at the larger Charlevoix impact structure indicates that the rate of change of recorded shock pressure with distance is greater at the Slate Islands structure. This is interpreted as due to variations in the strain rates and/or the rate of shock wave attenuation with radial distance between impact structures of different size.Contribution from Earth Physics Branch No. 626     

An investigation by transmission electron microscopy of planar deformation features in naturally shocked quartz

We have investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) the planar deformation features(PDF) in quartz from various sites where shock metamorphism has been detected optically: impact sites; the Vredefort complex (South Africa) and the K/T boundary at Raton Basin (Colorado). PDFs are straight narrow bands of glass or microtwins or huge densities of dislocations. Such contrasting microstructures must reflect different shock scenarios. In the Vredefort complex the post-shock thermal history has strongly overprinted the shock-induced defects. In the Raton Basin samples very tiny bubbles have precipitated on the dislocations, strongly suggesting a lengthy annealing at moderate pressure and temperature. This new information should be taken into account in any model of the origin of the K/T transition. In any case, observation of PDFs by optical microscopy alone is not sufficient to unambiguously conclude on their origin.     

Shock-metamorphic features in amphiboles from the Xiuyan crater of China

Amphibole-bearing gneiss fragments are common in the impact breccias of the Xiuyan crater, China. Three kinds of amphibole-bearing gneiss fragments with different shock-metamorphic levels have been identified. Shock-metamorphic features of amphiboles in these gneisses were investigated in situ by optical microscope, electron microprobe, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Amphiboles in the weakly shocked gneiss (shock pressure less than 10 GPa) basically remain intact. Amphiboles in the moderately shocked gneiss (shock pressure range between 35 and 45 GPa) show strong deformation, reduced optical interference color, and partial loss of OH^?. In the strongly shocked gneiss (shock pressure above 50 GPa), amphiboles are completely melted and dendritic pyroxenes crystallize from the melt. The formation of dendritic pyroxenes shows nearly complete loss of water in the amphibole melt at shock-induced high temperature above 1,500 °C. The occurrence of both diopside and pigeonite dendrites crystallized in the same amphibole melt shows inhomogenous melt composition and rapid cooling of the melt.     

国内外对天体撞击地球的撞击构造研究的新进展

以 31届国际地质大会有关论文为基础 ,综述了国内外撞击构造研究的最新进展 ,分 4个方面 :(1)新的撞击坑发现与报道 :除已知的 145个之外 ,还有巴西的 14个撞击坑 ,其中 7个目前已经证实 ;蒙古的 2 0个撞击坑 ,其中 11个已经证实 ;中国自 2 0世纪 70年代以来发现和报道的 8个撞击坑和对它们的研究简况。 (2 )撞击构造与地球演化 :涉及到地球的起源 ,天体撞击在地球形成中的作用 ,撞击周期 ,撞击与地磁 ,地轴变动的关系 ,撞击作用与板块构造 ,撞击与地球内动力的关系 ,太阳系其他行星上的撞击作用对比。 (3)撞击构造研究方法 :包括对复杂撞击坑中心隆起的深钻研究成果 ,对海洋巨型撞击坑的地震测量 ,撞击熔岩的分异与蚀变的物理化学实验计算 ,深部流体与撞击作用的研究进展 ,撞击压力测量的新方法 ,撞击变质作用在矿物学上的进展 ,撞击数学模型的建立与应用。 (4 )撞击构造与经济矿产 :包括金刚石 ,宝玉石 ,Au ,Ag ,Cu ,Ni,Co ,Se ,Te ,Pb ,Zn ,PGE ,REE ,U ,Th等多种元素与矿产以及石油、煤、天然气与撞击构造的关系 ,这些矿产在成因、分布规律、控制作用与撞击构造的关系。     

苏州西山震裂锥:太湖冲击坑又一新证据

震裂锥已被公认为陨石冲击地球表面遗留的标志。研究及统计资料表明,震裂锥与陨石冲击形成的中、大型冲击坑 有关。太湖西山震裂锥呈圆锥形,锥体表面有自锥顶向下辐射的锥纹,锥纹具有分叉的特征,这些特征与震裂锥的国际公 认的定义和标准相符。此外,西山震裂锥还具有其特有的其他特征：碎裂岩化显著;气化-熔融现象发育;锥体表面具网 状构造及波纹状、蜂窝状等多种气印。岩相学研究显示,震裂锥及含锥岩石中冲击变质现象明显,微页理（PDFs）、微裂 隙（PFs） 以及靶岩熔融现象发育。以上这些冲击变质的标志,可证明西山震裂锥是冲击成因,而非地表水风化淋溶石灰岩 的喀斯特或风蚀成因的凤稜石。西山震裂锥的发现、太湖湖底冲击击变角砾岩“太湖石”的确定,为太湖冲击坑的研究增 添了新的诊断性证据;加上早期研究确定的、冲击回落至太湖湖底淤泥层中的冲击溅射物,这些众多证据为确定“太湖冲 击坑”或“太湖冲击事件”展示了美好前景。但是,要确定太湖冲击坑的具体位置、大小及构造模式等,尚需更多的深入 研究。     

Shock metamorphism in sillimanite from the Haughton impact structure,Devon Island,Canada

Clasts of shocked garnet-sillimanite gneisses comprise a minor fraction of the allochthonous breccia at the Haughton impact structure. Refractive indices of the diaplectic and fused components of the gneisses, and reduced specific gravity indicate shock pressures from 35 to 55±5 GPa and effective post-shock temperatures from 500° to 1,000° C in a suite of selected samples.Sillimanites remain birefringent but display several effects of shock metamorphism. Shock-produced planar features and planar fractures are highly developed; optic axial angle (2V _y ) increases from near normal (26°) to over 80° within a sample; there is a reduction in optical relief and a development of a pale brown colouring which generally deepens in shade as shock level increases. There is no unambiguous evidence, optically or from X-ray investigation, of a high-pressure Al₂SiO₅ polymorph or breakdown to mullite and silica. The highly shocked sillimanites have anomalous K₂O contents from 0.11% to 0.92%. Potassium appears to substitute for aluminum and, to a lesser degree, for iron while retaining sillimanite stoichiometry, and the amount of substitution generally reflects increased shock level. The source of the contributed potassium is the coexisting shock-fused feldspar glass. The glass of each sample is derived primarily from melted alkali feldspar with a minor and varied admixture from the breakdown of mafic minerals. The glasses are depleted in K₂O, although Na₂O is unaffected, and the extent of depletion can be correlated with the increased K₂O content of the associated sillimanite. The incorporation of potassium in shocked sillimanites is a function of both degree of shock deformation and availability of potassium from other coexisting shocked phases. It is speculated that the brown colouration is a function of ferrous iron content and may reflect post-crater thermal history rather than shock level.Contribution from the Earth Physics Branch No. 951     

Characterization of magnetite particles in shocked quartz by means of electron- and magnetic force microscopy: Vredefort, South Africa

Submicroscopic opaque particles from highly shocked granite-gneisses close to the core of the Vredefort impact structure have been investigated by means of micro-analytical techniques with high spatial resolution such as electron diffraction, orientation contrast imagery and magnetic force microscopy. The opaque particles have been identified as nano- to micro-sized magnetite that occur in several distinct modes. In one sample magnetite occurs along relict planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz, generally accepted as typical shock lamellae. The magnetite particles along shock lamellae in quartz grains virtually all show uniform crystallographic orientations. In most instances, the groups of magnetite within different quartz grains are systematically misorientated such that they share a subparallel <101> direction. The magnetite groups of all measured quartz grains thus appear to have a crystallographic preferred orientation in space. In a second sample, orientations of magnetite particles have been measured in microfractures (non-diagnostic of shock) of quartz, albite and in the alteration halos, (e.g. biotite grains breaking down to chlorite). The crystallographic orientations of magnetite particles are diverse, with only a minor portion having a preferred orientation. Scanning electron microscopy shows that magnetite along the relict PDFs is invariably associated with other microcrystalline phases such as quartz, K-feldspar and biotite. Petrographic observations suggest that these microcrystalline phases crystallized from locally formed micro-melts that intruded zones of weakness such as microfractures and PDFs shortly after the shock event. The extremely narrow widths of the PDFs suggest that heat may have dissipated rapidly resulting in melts crystallizing relatively close to where they were generated. Magnetic force microscopy confirms the presence of magnetic particles along PDFs. The smallest particles, <5 μm with high aspect ratios 15:1 usually exhibit intense, uniform magnetic signals characteristic of single-domain magnetite. Consistent offsets between attractive and repulsive magnetic signals of individual single-domain particles suggest consistent directions of magnetization for a large proportion of particles. Received: 16 November 1998 / Accepted: 17 May 1999     

The Araguainha impact: a South American Permo–Triassic catastrophic event

The Araguainha meteorite impact was certainly one of the most catastrophic events in the history of the South American continent. The impact occurred around 250 Ma ago, when the region was covered by the estuarine waters of the Parana Basin in central parts of Brazil. The impacting body of approximately 2–3 km in diameter was sufficiently large to excavate a 2 km-thick sedimentary sequence of the Parana Basin and to expose a 4 km-wide core of basement crystalline rocks in the central part of the crater. The huge scar left by the meteorite collision is 40 km in diameter, the largest and best preserved impact crater on the continent. Combined field observations and remote sensing analysis demonstrates that the Araguainha impact structure preserves all morphological/structural features of large lunar craters, being thus an important analogue to study large extraterrestrial craters. The catastrophic energy released upon impact, close to 10⁶ megatons of TNT, must have been disastrous for marine organisms living in the Parana Basin. Ongoing studies are currently evaluating the link between the Araguainha impact and the Permian–Triassic mass extinction, which is the greatest of the mass extinctions in Earth history.     

世界陨石坑研究

本文综述了全球陨石坑研究的研究历史和最新成果、基本的概念、陨石坑的识别要点、世界著名的陨石坑、陨石撞击地球可能引起的岩浆活动、陨石撞击与生命演化等内容。确定一个陨石坑,要从有一定弧度的地貌开始,鉴别低平圆形地质体是陨石还是其它原因造成的,综合确定岩石的岩石学特征、岩石中是否有撞击变质矿物、残余陨石、重力异常。陨石撞击太阳系的所有行星。由于地球表面遭受严重的风化和侵蚀,地质学家很难发现陨石坑。截至2021年3月31日,全球陨石坑数据库中有190个经确认的陨石坑,但中国只有一个,中国地质学家在发现陨石坑方面应当积极努力。对一个陨石坑认识可能不很成熟,但往往能改变对一个地区的地质成因理论的认识,形成完整的陨石坑证据链可能需要几代科学家的不断努力。     

世界陨石坑研究

本文综述了全球陨石坑研究的研究历史和最新成果、基本的概念、陨石坑的识别要点、世界著名的陨石坑、陨石撞击地球可能引起的岩浆活动、陨石撞击与生命演化等内容。确定一个陨石坑,要从有一定弧度的地貌开始,鉴别低平圆形地质体是陨石还是其他原因造成的,综合确定岩石的岩石学特征、岩石中是否有撞击变质矿物、残余陨石、重力异常。陨石撞击太阳系的所有行星。由于地球表面遭受严重的风化和侵蚀,地质学家很难发现陨石坑。截至2021年3月31日,全球陨石坑数据库中有190个经确认的陨石坑,但中国只有一个,中国地质学家在发现陨石坑方面应当积极努力。对一个陨石坑认识可能不很成熟,但往往能改变对一个地区的地质成因理论的认识,形成完整的陨石坑证据链可能需要几代科学家的不断努力。     

An Evaporation Model for Formation of Carbonates in the ALH84001 Martian Meteorite

Small, discoid globules and networks of magnesium-iron-calcium carbonates occur within impact-produced fracture zones in the ALH84001 Martian meteorite. Because these carbonates contain or are associated with the hydrocarbons, single-domain magnetite and iron-sulfide grains, and purported microfossils that collectively have been cited as evidence for ancient Martian life, it is critically important to understand their formation. Previous hypotheses for the origin of the carbonates involve either alteration of the rock by hydrothermal fluids at relatively low temperatures, or formation from a CO₂-rich vapor at high temperatures. This paper explores an alternative mechanism–direct precipitation from a ponded evaporating brine infiltrating into fractures in the floor of an impact crater. Such a model can be reconciled with the observed carbonate compositional zoning and extreme stable-isotopic fractionations. If the carbonates formed in this manner, this removes a possible obstacle to the proposed existence of microbial remains in ALH84001; however, the cited evidence for life can be better explained by inorganic processes expected from brines in an evaporating alkaline lake, with an overprint of shock metamorphism and subsequent contamination by organic matter after falling to Earth.