1
|
Long T, Qian Y, Norman MD, Miljkovic K, Crow C, Head JW, Che X, Tartèse R, Zellner N, Yu X, Xie S, Whitehouse M, Joy KH, Neal CR, Snape JF, Zhou G, Liu S, Yang C, Yang Z, Wang C, Xiao L, Liu D, Nemchin A. Constraining the formation and transport of lunar impact glasses using the ages and chemical compositions of Chang'e-5 glass beads. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq2542. [PMID: 36170359 PMCID: PMC9519047 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq2542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Impact glasses found in lunar soils provide a possible window into the impact history of the inner solar system. However, their use for precise reconstruction of this history is limited by an incomplete understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for their origin and distribution and possible relationships to local and regional geology. Here, we report U-Pb isotopic dates and chemical compositions of impact glasses from the Chang'e-5 soil and quantitative models of impact melt formation and ejection that account for the compositions of these glasses. The predominantly local provenance indicated by their compositions, which constrains transport distances to <~150 kilometers, and the age-frequency distribution are consistent with formation mainly in impact craters 1 to 5 kilometers in diameter. Based on geological mapping and impact cratering theory, we tentatively identify specific craters on the basaltic unit sampled by Chang'e-5 that may have produced these glasses and compare their ages with the impact record of the asteroid belt.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tao Long
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Yuqi Qian
- Planetary Science Institute, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Marc D. Norman
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Katarina Miljkovic
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Carolyn Crow
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - James W. Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Xiaochao Che
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Romain Tartèse
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Nicolle Zellner
- Department of Physics, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224, USA
| | - Xuefeng Yu
- Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Shiwen Xie
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Martin Whitehouse
- Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katherine H. Joy
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Clive R. Neal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Joshua F. Snape
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Guisheng Zhou
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Shoujie Liu
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Chun Yang
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Zhiqing Yang
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Long Xiao
- Planetary Science Institute, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Dunyi Liu
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
- Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Alexander Nemchin
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Desch SJ, Jackson AP, Noviello JL, Anbar AD. The breakup of a long-period comet is not a likely match to the Chicxulub impactor. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10415. [PMID: 35729176 PMCID: PMC9213478 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12873-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Desch
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1404, USA.
| | - Alan P Jackson
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1404, USA
| | - Jessica L Noviello
- NASA Postdoctoral Management Fellow, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - Ariel D Anbar
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1404, USA.,School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yan H, Xu W, Zhang T, Feng L, Liu R, Wang L, Wu L, Zhang H, Zhang X, Li T, Peng Z, Jin C, Yu Y, Ping J, Ma M, He Z. Characterization of a novel arsenite long-distance transporter from arsenic hyperaccumulator fern Pteris vittata. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2488-2502. [PMID: 35015902 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pteris vittata is an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator that can accumulate several thousand mg As kg-1 DW in aboveground biomass. A key factor for its hyperaccumulation ability is its highly efficient As long-distance translocation system. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. We isolated PvAsE1 through the full-length cDNA over-expression library of P. vittata and characterized it through a yeast system, RNAi gametophytes and sporophytes, subcellular-location and in situ hybridization. Phylogenomic analysis was conducted to estimate the appearance time of PvAsE1. PvAsE1 was a plasma membrane-oriented arsenite (AsIII) effluxer. The silencing of PvAsE1 reduced AsIII long-distance translocation in P. vittata sporophytes. PvAsE1 was structurally similar to solute carrier (SLC)13 proteins. Its transcripts could be observed in parenchyma cells surrounding the xylem of roots. The appearance time was estimated at c. 52.7 Ma. PvAsE1 was a previously uncharacterized SLC13-like AsIII effluxer, which may contribute to AsIII long-distance translocation via xylem loading. PvAsE1 appeared late in fern evolution and might be an adaptive subject to the selection pressure at the Cretaceaou-Paleogene boundary. The identification of PvAsE1 provides clues for revealing the special As hyperaccumulation characteristics of P. vittata.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huili Yan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Wenxiu Xu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Tian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lu Feng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Ruoxi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Luyao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lulu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaohan Zhang
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhimei Peng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chen Jin
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yijun Yu
- Zhejiang Station for Management of Arable Land Quality and Fertilizer, Hangzhou, 310020, China
| | - Junai Ping
- Sorghum Research Institute of Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, 030600, China
| | - Mi Ma
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Zhenyan He
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Breakup of a long-period comet as the origin of the dinosaur extinction. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3803. [PMID: 33589634 PMCID: PMC7884440 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82320-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of the Chicxulub impactor, which is attributed as the cause of the K/T mass extinction event, is an unsolved puzzle. The background impact rates of main-belt asteroids and long-period comets have been previously dismissed as being too low to explain the Chicxulub impact event. Here, we show that a fraction of long-period comets are tidally disrupted after passing close to the Sun, each producing a collection of smaller fragments that cross the orbit of Earth. This population could increase the impact rate of long-period comets capable of producing Chicxulub impact events by an order of magnitude. This new rate would be consistent with the age of the Chicxulub impact crater, thereby providing a satisfactory explanation for the origin of the impactor. Our hypothesis explains the composition of the largest confirmed impact crater in Earth's history as well as the largest one within the last million years. It predicts a larger proportion of impactors with carbonaceous chondritic compositions than would be expected from meteorite falls of main-belt asteroids.
Collapse
|
5
|
Goderis S, Sato H, Ferrière L, Schmitz B, Burney D, Kaskes P, Vellekoop J, Wittmann A, Schulz T, Chernonozhkin SM, Claeys P, de Graaff SJ, Déhais T, de Winter NJ, Elfman M, Feignon JG, Ishikawa A, Koeberl C, Kristiansson P, Neal CR, Owens JD, Schmieder M, Sinnesael M, Vanhaecke F, Van Malderen SJM, Bralower TJ, Gulick SPS, Kring DA, Lowery CM, Morgan JV, Smit J, Whalen MT. Globally distributed iridium layer preserved within the Chicxulub impact structure. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/9/eabe3647. [PMID: 33627429 PMCID: PMC7904271 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe3647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction is marked globally by elevated concentrations of iridium, emplaced by a hypervelocity impact event 66 million years ago. Here, we report new data from four independent laboratories that reveal a positive iridium anomaly within the peak-ring sequence of the Chicxulub impact structure, in drill core recovered by IODP-ICDP Expedition 364. The highest concentration of ultrafine meteoritic matter occurs in the post-impact sediments that cover the crater peak ring, just below the lowermost Danian pelagic limestone. Within years to decades after the impact event, this part of the Chicxulub impact basin returned to a relatively low-energy depositional environment, recording in unprecedented detail the recovery of life during the succeeding millennia. The iridium layer provides a key temporal horizon precisely linking Chicxulub to K-Pg boundary sections worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Goderis
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Honami Sato
- Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Submarine Resources Research Center, Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Birger Schmitz
- Astrogeobiology Laboratory, Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - David Burney
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Pim Kaskes
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratoire G-Time, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Johan Vellekoop
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Geology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Axel Wittmann
- Eyring Materials Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Toni Schulz
- Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institut für Geologie und Mineralogie, Universität zu Köln, Köln, Germany
| | - Stepan M Chernonozhkin
- Atomic and Mass Spectrometry-A&MS research group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sietze J de Graaff
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratoire G-Time, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Déhais
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratoire G-Time, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Niels J de Winter
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mikael Elfman
- Astrogeobiology Laboratory, Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Akira Ishikawa
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
- Submarine Resources Research Center, Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Christian Koeberl
- Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Per Kristiansson
- Astrogeobiology Laboratory, Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Clive R Neal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Jeremy D Owens
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science and National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Martin Schmieder
- HNU Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm, Germany
- Lunar and Planetary Institute-USRA, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthias Sinnesael
- Analytical, Environmental, and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Frank Vanhaecke
- Atomic and Mass Spectrometry-A&MS research group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stijn J M Van Malderen
- Atomic and Mass Spectrometry-A&MS research group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Timothy J Bralower
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sean P S Gulick
- Institute for Geophysics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Center for Planetary Systems Habitability, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David A Kring
- Lunar and Planetary Institute-USRA, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Joanna V Morgan
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jan Smit
- Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michael T Whalen
- Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Collins GS, Patel N, Davison TM, Rae ASP, Morgan JV, Gulick SPS. A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1480. [PMID: 32457325 PMCID: PMC7251121 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15269-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The environmental severity of large impacts on Earth is influenced by their impact trajectory. Impact direction and angle to the target plane affect the volume and depth of origin of vaporized target, as well as the trajectories of ejected material. The asteroid impact that formed the 66 Ma Chicxulub crater had a profound and catastrophic effect on Earth's environment, but the impact trajectory is debated. Here we show that impact angle and direction can be diagnosed by asymmetries in the subsurface structure of the Chicxulub crater. Comparison of 3D numerical simulations of Chicxulub-scale impacts with geophysical observations suggests that the Chicxulub crater was formed by a steeply-inclined (45-60° to horizontal) impact from the northeast; several lines of evidence rule out a low angle (<30°) impact. A steeply-inclined impact produces a nearly symmetric distribution of ejected rock and releases more climate-changing gases per impactor mass than either a very shallow or near-vertical impact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G S Collins
- Department Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - N Patel
- Department Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - T M Davison
- Department Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - A S P Rae
- Department Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,Institute of Geology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - J V Morgan
- Department Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - S P S Gulick
- Institute for Geophysics and Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78758, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ghosh AK, Sarkar S. Diversification of the Family Sporolithaceae: A Case of Successful Survival in the Perspective of Cretaceous–Tertiary Mass Extinctions in India. NATIONAL ACADEMY SCIENCE LETTERS 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s40009-013-0122-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
8
|
Joy KH, Zolensky ME, Nagashima K, Huss GR, Ross DK, McKay DS, Kring DA. Direct Detection of Projectile Relics from the End of the Lunar Basin–Forming Epoch. Science 2012; 336:1426-9. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1219633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine H. Joy
- Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA
- NASA Lunar Science Institute
| | - Michael E. Zolensky
- NASA Lunar Science Institute
- ARES, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 USA
| | - Kazuhide Nagashima
- Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Gary R. Huss
- Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - D. Kent Ross
- ARES, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 USA
- Engineering and Science Contract Group, Jacobs Technology, 2224 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - David S. McKay
- NASA Lunar Science Institute
- ARES, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 USA
| | - David A. Kring
- Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA
- NASA Lunar Science Institute
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Paquay FS, Goderis S, Ravizza G, Vanhaeck F, Boyd M, Surovell TA, Holliday VT, Haynes CV, Claeys P. Absence of geochemical evidence for an impact event at the Bølling-Allerød/Younger Dryas transition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:21505-10. [PMID: 20007789 PMCID: PMC2799824 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0908874106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
High concentrations of iridium have been reported in terrestrial sediments dated at 12.9 ka and are interpreted to support an extraterrestrial impact event as the cause of the observed extinction in the Rancholabrean fauna, changes in the Paleoindian cultures, and the onset of the Younger Dryas cooling [Firestone RB, et al. (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:16016-16021]. Here, we report platinum group element (PGE: Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd), gold (Au) concentrations, and (187)Os/(188)Os ratios in time-equivalent terrestrial, lacustrine, and marine sections to seek robust evidence of an extraterrestrial contribution. First, our results do not reproduce the previously reported elevated Ir concentrations. Second, (187)Os/(188)Os isotopic ratios in the sediment layers investigated are similar to average crustal values, indicating the absence of a significant meteoritic Os contribution to these sediments. Third, no PGE anomalies distinct from crustal signatures are present in the marine record in either the Gulf of California (DSDP 480, Guaymas Basin) or the Cariaco Basin (ODP 1002C). Our data show no evidence of an extraterrestrial (ET)-PGE enrichment anomaly in any of the investigated depositional settings investigated across North America and in one section in Belgium. The lack of a clear ET-PGE signature in this sample suite is inconsistent with the impact of a large chondritic projectile at the Bølling-Allerød/Younger Dryas transition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- François S Paquay
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Paquay FS, Ravizza GE, Dalai TK, Peucker-Ehrenbrink B. Determining Chondritic Impactor Size from the Marine Osmium Isotope Record. Science 2008; 320:214-8. [PMID: 18403707 DOI: 10.1126/science.1152860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- François S. Paquay
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822–2225, USA
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceano-graphic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Gregory E. Ravizza
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822–2225, USA
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceano-graphic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Tarun K. Dalai
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822–2225, USA
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceano-graphic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822–2225, USA
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceano-graphic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
|
12
|
|
13
|
Bottke WF, Vokrouhlický D, Nesvorný D. An asteroid breakup 160 Myr ago as the probable source of the K/T impactor. Nature 2007; 449:48-53. [PMID: 17805288 DOI: 10.1038/nature06070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2007] [Accepted: 06/22/2007] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The terrestrial and lunar cratering rate is often assumed to have been nearly constant over the past 3 Gyr. Different lines of evidence, however, suggest that the impact flux from kilometre-sized bodies increased by at least a factor of two over the long-term average during the past approximately 100 Myr. Here we argue that this apparent surge was triggered by the catastrophic disruption of the parent body of the asteroid Baptistina, which we infer was a approximately 170-km-diameter body (carbonaceous-chondrite-like) that broke up 160(-20)+30Myr ago in the inner main asteroid belt. Fragments produced by the collision were slowly delivered by dynamical processes to orbits where they could strike the terrestrial planets. We find that this asteroid shower is the most likely source (>90 per cent probability) of the Chicxulub impactor that produced the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) mass extinction event 65 Myr ago.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William F Bottke
- Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St, Suite 300, Boulder, Colorado 80302, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Maier WD, Andreoli MAG, McDonald I, Higgins MD, Boyce AJ, Shukolyukov A, Lugmair GW, Ashwal LD, Gräser P, Ripley EM, Hart RJ. Discovery of a 25-cm asteroid clast in the giant Morokweng impact crater, South Africa. Nature 2006; 441:203-6. [PMID: 16688173 DOI: 10.1038/nature04751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2006] [Accepted: 03/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Meteorites provide a sample of Solar System bodies and so constrain the types of objects that have collided with Earth over time. Meteorites analysed to date, however, are unlikely to be representative of the entire population and it is also possible that changes in their nature have occurred with time. Large objects are widely believed to be completely melted or vaporized during high-angle impact with the Earth. Consequently, identification of large impactors relies on indirect chemical tracers, notably the platinum-group elements. Here we report the discovery of a large (25-cm), unaltered, fossil meteorite, and several smaller fragments within the impact melt of the giant (> 70 km diameter), 145-Myr-old Morokweng crater, South Africa. The large fragment (clast) resembles an LL6 chondrite breccia, but contains anomalously iron-rich silicates, Fe-Ni sulphides, and no troilite or metal. It has chondritic chromium isotope ratios and identical platinum-group element ratios to the bulk impact melt. These features allow the unambiguous characterization of an impactor at a large crater. Furthermore, the unusual composition of the meteorite suggests that the Morokweng asteroid incorporated part of the LL chondrite parent body not represented by objects at present reaching the Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W D Maier
- Sciences de la Terre, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec G7H 2B1, Canada.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bland PA. The impact rate on Earth. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2005; 363:2793-810. [PMID: 16286291 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2005.1674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent data, and modelling of the interaction between asteroids and the atmosphere, has defined a complete size-frequency distribution for terrestrial impactors, from meteorite-sized objects up to kilometre-sized asteroids, for both the upper atmosphere and the Earth's surface. Although there remain significant uncertainties in the incidence of specific size-fractions of impactors, these estimates allow us to constrain the threat posed by impacts to human populations. It is clear that impacts remain a significant natural hazard, but uniquely, they are a threat that we can accurately predict, and take steps to avoid.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Bland
- Imperial College London Department of Earth Science and Engineering South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Comets: Potential Sources of Prebiotic Molecules for the Early Earth. LECTURES IN ASTROBIOLOGY 2005. [DOI: 10.1007/10913406_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
|
17
|
Basu AR, Petaev MI, Poreda RJ, Jacobsen SB, Becker L. Chondritic Meteorite Fragments Associated with the Permian-Triassic Boundary in Antarctica. Science 2003; 302:1388-92. [PMID: 14631038 DOI: 10.1126/science.1090852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Multiple chondritic meteorite fragments have been found in two sedimentary rock samples from an end-Permian bed at Graphite Peak in Antarctica. The Ni/Fe, Co/Ni, and P/Fe ratios in metal grains; the Fe/Mg and Mn/Fe ratios in olivine and pyroxene; and the chemistry of Fe-, Ni-, P-, and S-bearing oxide in the meteorite fragments are typical of CM-type chondritic meteorites. In one sample, the meteoritic fragments are accompanied by more abundant discrete metal grains, which are also found in an end-Permian bed at Meishan, southern China. We discuss the implications of this finding for a suggested global impact event at the Permian-Triassic boundary.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asish R Basu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Alvarez W. Comparing the evidence relevant to impact and flood basalt at times of major mass extinctions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2003; 3:153-161. [PMID: 12804370 DOI: 10.1089/153110703321632480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The five major mass extinctions identified in 1982 by Raup and Sepkoski have expanded to six, with the suggestion that the Permian-Triassic extinction was a double event. Is there a general explanation for great mass extinctions, or can they result from different triggers, or even from internal system instabilities? The two most-discussed candidates for a general extinction mechanism are impacts and flood-basalt eruptions. A compilation of evidence for impact at the times of mass extinctions shows that this cause is abundantly confirmed in the case of the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction and the late Eocene, which is a time of minor and gradual extinction, but little or no evidence connects other major extinctions to impact. On the other hand, there is a remarkable time correlation between flood basalts and four major extinctions, but no other evidence that flood basalts cause mass extinctions. The evidence for an impact-extinction linkage is strikingly different from that for a connection between flood basalts and extinctions. Flood basalts cover larger areas than craters and their associated thick ejecta blankets, which are thus less likely to be found. Impacts distribute proxies globally at instantaneous time horizons, whereas flood-basalt events are extended in time, and no remote proxies have been recognized. Many global killing mechanisms have been proposed in the case of impacts, but few have been suggested for flood basalts. It is possible that flood basalts are triggered by impact, but it is not obvious how impacts could result from anything other than chance. The hypothesis that impacts are the general cause of mass extinctions has not received supporting evidence, but has not been falsified. The hypothesis that flood basalts are the general cause of mass extinctions is supported by evidence from timing, but is not susceptible to falsification. Other candidates for general extinction causes, especially sea-level changes and system instabilities, would require separate treatment. The question is still very much open.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Walter Alvarez
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley 94720-4767, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kring DA. Environmental consequences of impact cratering events as a function of ambient conditions on Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2003; 3:133-152. [PMID: 12809133 DOI: 10.1089/153110703321632471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The end of the Mesozoic Era is defined by a dramatic floral and faunal turnover that has been linked with the Chicxulub impact event, thus leading to the realization that impact cratering can affect both the geologic and biologic evolution of Earth. However, the environmental consequences of an impact event and any subsequent biological effects rely on several factors, including the ambient environmental conditions and the extant ecosystem structures at the time of impact. Some of the severest environmental perturbations of the Chicxulub impact event would not have been significant in some periods of Earth history. Consequently, the environmental and biological effects of an impact event must be evaluated in the context in which it occurs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David A Kring
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson 85721, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Dauphas N, Marty B. Inference on the nature and the mass of Earth's late veneer from noble metals and gases. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2001je001617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dauphas
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques; CNRS; Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy France
| | - Bernard Marty
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques; CNRS; Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy France
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kring DA. Trajectories and distribution of material ejected from the Chicxulub impact crater: Implications for postimpact wildfires. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2001je001532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
22
|
Affiliation(s)
- T Flannery
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, 5000 Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Mukhopadhyay S, Farley KA, Montanari A. A short duration of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event: evidence from extraterrestrial helium-3. Science 2001; 291:1952-5. [PMID: 11239153 DOI: 10.1126/science.291.5510.1952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Analyses of marine carbonates through the interval 63.9 to 65.4 million years ago indicate a near-constant flux of extraterrestrial helium-3, a tracer of the accretion rate of interplanetary dust to Earth. This observation indicates that the bolide associated with the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) extinction event was not accompanied by enhanced solar system dustiness and so could not have been a member of a comet shower. The use of helium-3 as a constant-flux proxy of sedimentation rate implies deposition of the K-T boundary clay in (10 +/- 2) x 10(3) years, precluding the possibility of a long hiatus at the boundary and requiring extremely rapid faunal turnover.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Mukhopadhyay
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Schmitz B, Tassinari M. Fossil Meteorites. ACCRETION OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL MATTER THROUGHOUT EARTH’S HISTORY 2001:319-331. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
|