Planetary Sciences, Geodynamics, Impacts, Mass Extinctions, and Evolution: Developments and Interconnections

Abstract

Research frontiers in geophysics are being expanded, with development of new fields resulting from technological advances such as the Earth observation satellite network, global positioning system, high pressure-temperature physics, tomographic methods, and big data computing. Planetary missions and enhanced exoplanets detection capabilities, with discovery of a wide range of exoplanets and multiple systems, have renewed attention to models of planetary system formation and planet’s characteristics, Earth’s interior, and geodynamics, highlighting the need to better understand the Earth system, processes, and spatio-temporal scales. Here we review the emerging interconnections resulting from advances in planetary sciences, geodynamics, high pressure-temperature physics, meteorite impacts, and mass extinctions.

Application of laser ablation-ICP-MS to determine high-resolution elemental profiles across the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary at Agost (Spain)

“…the time of deposition and is thus considered a distal section (e.g., Goderis et al, 2013;Urrutia-Fucugauchi and Pérez-Cruz, 2016); it is thought to represent a paleo-deposition depth of~600-1000 m (Alegret and Thomas, 2013;Smit, 1990), an upper-middle-bathyal environment similar to or slightly shallower than that proposed for the nearby Caravaca site.…”

“…The technique therefore allows high-resolution analyses within layers of sub-mm thickness, as is the case for the KPgB at distal sections (Urrutia-Fucugauchi and Pérez-Cruz, 2016). This boundary, dated at 66.04 ± 0.02 Ma (Renne et al, 2013), has been widely studied (Goderis et al, 2013;Schulte et al, 2010), and its link to a meteorite impact broadly demonstrated (Alvarez et al, 1980;Schulte et al, 2010;Smit and Hertogen, 1980).…”

“…Major geochemical anomalies, recognized worldwide, characterize this boundary in both marine and continental depositional environments (Goderis et al, 2013). The extraterrestrial contribution is particularly evident in the ejecta layer of marine distal sites, located > 4000 km away from the Chicxulub impact crater (Goderis et al, 2013;Smit, 1999;Urrutia-Fucugauchi and Pérez-Cruz, 2016). In contrast, at marine proximal or intermediate sites, located closer to the impact site -such as Blake Nose (Martinez-Ruiz et al, 2001) or Demerara Rise (Berndt et al, 2011)-the extraterrestrial metal contribution is highly diluted by target rocks.…”

Microscale trace-element distribution across the Cretaceous/Palaeogene ejecta layer at the Agost section: Constraining the recovery of pre-impact conditions

“…Major geochemical anomalies, recognized worldwide, characterize this boundary in both marine and continental depositional environments (Goderis et al, 2013). However, the extraterrestrial contribution is particularly evident in the ejecta layer of marine distal sites, those located more than 5000 km from the Chicxulub impact crater (Claeys et al, 2002;Goderis et al, 2013;Smit, 1999;Urrutia-Fucugauchi and Pérez-Cruz, 2016). The Agost (SE Spain) section is one of the best exposed and most representative of marine distal areas for the KPgB event (Molina et al, 2005;Rodríguez-Tovar et al, 2006).…”

Is Malaysia Located In The Pacific Ring Of Fire? A Legal Perspective

“…The plate is moving between 2 to 5 centimetres per year (Abu Bakar, Jamaluddin, Omar, & Razak, 2013). According to Urrutia-Fucugauchi and Perez-Cruz (2016) plate tectonics is a global lithosphere separated by several plates moving on relative motion.…”