Geology and impact features of Riachão structure,northern Brazil |
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| Authors: | Mariana V Maziviero Marcos A R Vasconcelos Alvaro P Crósta Ana M Góes Wolf U Reimold Cleyton De C Carneiro |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Geology and Natural Resources, Institute of Geosciences, University of Campinas, , Campinas, S?o Paulo, 13083‐970 Brazil;2. Department of Sedimentary and Environmental Geology, Institute of Geosciences, University of S?o Paulo, , S?o Paulo, 05508‐080 Brazil;3. Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, , 10115 Berlin, Germany;4. Humboldt‐Universit?t zu Berlin, , 10099 Berlin, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Riachão, located at S7°42′/W46°38′ in Maranhão State, northeastern Brazil, is a complex impact structure of about 4.1 km diameter, formed in Pennsylvanian to Permian sedimentary rocks of the Parnaíba Basin sequence. Although its impact origin was already proposed in the 1970s, information on its geology and shock features is still scarce in the literature. We present here the main geomorphological and geological characteristics of the Riachão impact structure obtained by integrated geophysical and remote sensing analysis, as well as geological field work and petrographic analysis. The identified lithostratigraphic units consist of different levels of the Pedra de Fogo Formation and, possibly, the Piauí Formation. Our petrographic analysis confirms the presence of shock‐diagnostic planar microdeformation structures in quartz grains of sandstone from the central uplift as evidence for an impact origin of the Riachão structure. The absence of crater‐filling impact breccias and melt rocks, shatter cones, as well as the restricted occurrence of microscopic shock effects, suggests that intense and relatively deep erosion has occurred since crater formation. |
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