Impactites of the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic

Osinski, G. R.; Spray, John G.; Lee, Pascal

doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00147.x

Cited by 61 publications

(136 citation statements)

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“…It follows that clasts within "cooler" impact ejecta and central uplift lithologies are likely to remain vesicular; whereas, clasts enclosed in hot, impact-melt bodies in the crater interior will likely recrystallize. At Haughton, the sediment-derived impact-melt breccias cooled very quickly so that many of these vesicular habitats were preserved (Osinski et al 2005b), however, impact-melt layers generated from crystalline-rich targets remain at much higher temperatures for extended lengths of time (e.g., Grieve et al 1977) so that the thermal annealing and recrystallization of vesicular clasts will be more likely.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This unit has a maximum preserved thickness of ~125 m and covers an area ~60 km 2 (Scott and Hajnal 1988). The original dimensions of the impact-melt breccia deposit are estimated to be greater than 200 m in thickness and ~12 km in diameter (Osinski et al 2005b). In the eastern part of the crater, the impact-melt breccia deposits are divided into a series of discrete outcrops separated from the main deposits in the central part of the crater by a system of broad (up to ~1 km wide) alluvial terraces associated with meanders of the Haughton River.…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Field Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The structure was formed in a target sequence dominated by a thick series (~1880 m) of Lower Paleozoic marine sedimentary rocks of primarily carbonates, dolomite and limestone, overlying crystalline basement Precambrian granites and gneisses (Thorsteinsson and Mayr 1987;Osinski et al 2005a). The crater interior is filled with allochthonous impact-melt breccias, which comprise a groundmass of carbonate and silicate melt phases enclosing clasts from various parts of the pre-impact target sequence to depths of ~2 km (Grieve 1988;Osinski and Spray 2001;Osinski et al 2005b). This unit has a maximum preserved thickness of ~125 m and covers an area ~60 km 2 (Scott and Hajnal 1988).…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Field Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact‐induced impoverishment and transformation of a sandstone habitat for lithophytic microorganisms

Cockell¹,

Osinski²

2007

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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Abstract-Sandstones are a common habitat for lithophytic microorganisms, including cryptoendoliths. We describe laboratory experiments on the colonization of impact metamorphosed sandstones from the Haughton impact structure, Canadian High Arctic. Colonization experiments with the coccoid cyanobacterium, Chroococcidiopsis sp. and the motile gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, show that, in contrast to initially low porosity crystalline target rocks, which can become more porous as a result of impact bulking, by closing pore spaces the sedimentary cryptoendolithic habitat can be impoverished by impact. However, the heterogeneous distribution of collapsed pores, melt phases, and subsequent recrystallization, results in heterogeneous colonization patterns. Cavities and vesicles formed during melting can yield new habitats for both cryptoendoliths and chasmoendoliths, manifested in the natural cryptoendolithic colonization of shocked sandstones. By contrast, post-impact thermal annealing and recrystallization of impact melt phases destroys the cavities and vesicles. In extreme cases, complete recrystallization of the rock fabric makes the material suitable only for epilithic, and potentially hypolithic, colonists. These experiments further our understanding of the influence of the target lithology on the effects of asteroid and comet impacts on habitats for lithophytic microorganisms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Characteristics Of the Field Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Characteristics Of the Field Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact‐induced impoverishment and transformation of a sandstone habitat for lithophytic microorganisms

Cockell¹,

Osinski²

2007

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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“…However, Ozinski et al (2005) found that CaCO 3 melts in the Haughton impact crater coexist with silicate melt. In addition, intact, well-preserved carbonate microfossils are found encased in silicate melt from Chicxulub (Salge, 2007).…”

Section: Comments and Repliesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts, mega-tsunami, and other extraordinary claims: COMMENT

Abbott¹,

Bryant²,

Gusiakov³

et al. 2008

GSAT

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e12Pinter and Ishman also claim that chevron dunes in Madagascar and on Long Island are aeolian in origin. We visited both locations and found many features that seem incompatible with an aeolian origin. First, parts of the chevrons in both locations contain fist-sized rocks. These rocks are too large to be transported by the wind. Second, the orientations of the chevrons do not match the current prevailing wind direction. In both areas, some of the thicker sand deposits are being reworked into classic windblown dunes. The direction of movement of these dunes differs 8° to 22° from the long-axis of the chevrons. Third, the degree of roundness of the grains in the chevrons is not characteristic of wind transport over long distances. In both locations, sand grains on the distal ends of the chevrons are not well sorted or well rounded. Sand moved by the wind obtains an aeolian size and sorting distribution after only 10-12 km of saltation transport (Sharp, 1966); however, at Ampalaza in Madagascar, the chevron is >40 km long and rises to 63 m above sea level. At its distal end, the chevron is 7.2 km in a direct line from the coast and contains unbroken, unabraded marine microfossils and conchoidally fractured sand grains. It is impossible to transport unabraded marine microfossils to this location via wind-generated saltation. The site is too far above sea level for storm waves, and there is no local agricultural activity. The chevron was deposited by a tsunami. (2008) not only question several aspects of our work but also some well-established scientific concepts. The first is our inference that splashes of Fe > Cr > Ni metal onto conchoidally fractured grains, marine microfossils, and impact glasses are probably derived from a vaporized impactor. There are two well-known cases of impact condensates with a high content of Ni but with Fe > Cr > Ni. The first is the Ries impact crater, where veinlets of Fe > Cr > Ni metal a few microns in diameter were interpreted as vaporized impactor (El Goresy and Chao, 1976). The second is from the Barberton greenstone belt, where 3.24 Ga impact spherules have Fe > Cr > Ni (Krull-Davatzes et al., 2006). Cr isotopic values from the impact spherules indicate that the Cr came from an impactor (Kyte et al., 2003). Modeling suggests that the Cr contents of impact condensates increase under conditions equivalent to "impactor dominated vapor and/or a basaltic ocean-crust target" (Ebel and Grossman, 2005). Thus, impacts can produce Ni-rich ejecta in which Cr is enriched relative to Ni. REFERENCES CITEDPinter and Ishman also believe that our observation of fused metals on marine microfossils is wrong because CaCO 3 decomposes at ~500 °C, while the melting points of iron, nickel, and chrome are >1400 °C. However, Ozinski et al. (2005) found that CaCO 3 melts in the Haughton impact crater coexist with silicate melt. In addition, intact, well-preserved carbonate microfossils are found encased in silicate melt from Chicxulub (Salge, 2007). Recent experiments have replicated grasses found in...

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“…A paper by Osinski et al (2005b) builds upon previous works by Spray (2001, 2003) and improves our knowledge of the response of sedimentary rocks, in particular carbonates, to a hypervelocity impact. In particular, it is now clear that carbonates, evaporites, sandstones, and shales, underwent melting during the Haughton impact event, a fact that was not recognized prior to HMP studies.…”

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confidence: 99%

Untitled

2005

Meteoritics &Amp; Planetary Science

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The Haughton impact structure (23 km in diameter) on Devon Island, High Arctic, has been the subject of a number of scientific investigations since its identification as an impact structure in the early 1970s (see Grieve 1988 for a summary). Due to its near polar location (75.2°N, 89.5°W), Haughton has experienced a predominantly cold and relatively dry climate throughout most of its history, and is for this reason exceptionally well preserved considering its age (~39 Ma). While by no means subject to environmental conditions as extreme as those encountered on Mars at present, the structure's general climatic setting in a terrestrial polar desert (annual average temperature is -16 °C; annual precipitation is <13 mm)-including the implied continuous permafrost underlying its terrains-and the presence of a number of other geologic features at or near the crater that bear possible relevance to Mars, make the site attractive as a potential analog for Mars (Lee 1997). Haughton is the only terrestrial impact structure known to be set in a polar desert.In 1997, a pilot study was initiated to visit Haughton with an eye towards comparative planetary studies (with focus on Mars) and a small field party of four deployed to Devon Island with support from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US National Research Council (NRC), and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) (Lee et al. 1998). Haughton and its surrounding terrains proved to offer a wide range of investigative possibilities for analog studies (e.g., Lee 2000;Lee et al. 2001Lee et al. , 2002Lee et al. , 2003Lee et al. , 2004Lee et al. , 2005Glass et al. 2002Glass et al. , 2005, with the prospect of many seasons of field work needed ahead to complete even initial surveys, and so the Haughton-Mars Project was established as a longer term effort. Now in its tenth year of operation, the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) is an international multidisciplinary planetary analog field research project centered on the scientific study of the Haughton impact structure and surrounding terrains, with both a science program (seeking to advance our scientific understanding of the site in the broad context of planetary science and astrobiology) and an exploration program (seeking to use the site and the fact that actual scientific field investigations are taking place there [not simulations thereof] as an opportunity to drive and mature technologies and strategies for future planetary exploration with both robotic systems and humans). Being set in a polar desert, i.e., an environment which, by terrestrial standards, is extremely cold, dry, rocky, dusty, UV-irradiated, and largely unvegetated, the site presents real operational challenges to field exploration that are analogous in fundamental ways (although much more forgiving, of course) to those expected in planetary surface exploration.At present, each summer the HMP hosts tens of researchers (scientists and engineers), graduate and undergraduate students, and support staff at its base campthe Haughton-Mars Projec...

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Impactites of the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic

Cited by 61 publications

References 49 publications

Impact‐induced impoverishment and transformation of a sandstone habitat for lithophytic microorganisms

Impact‐induced impoverishment and transformation of a sandstone habitat for lithophytic microorganisms

Impacts, mega-tsunami, and other extraordinary claims: COMMENT

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