The Manicouagan impact structure as a terrestrial analogue site for lunar and martian planetary science

Spray, John G.; Thompson, L. M.; Biren, Marc B.; O’Connell‐Cooper, C. D.

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2009.09.010

Cited by 43 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We have explored the viability of (U‐Th)/He impact dating by investigating materials collected at the well‐studied ∼90 km diameter Manicouagan impact structure located in northern Quebec, Canada [e.g., Onorato et al , 1978; Simonds et al , 1978; Grieve and Head , 1983; Spray et al , 2010] (Figures 1a and 1b). The Manicouagan structure features a well‐preserved, up to 1.4 km thick, crystalline impact melt sheet that has been subdivided into three lithologic units based on mineralogy and chemistry [ Floran et al , 1978; O'Connell‐Cooper and Spray , 2011].…”

Section: Dated Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cooling ages may vary from crystal to crystal because of the specific 4 He diffusive characteristics in each grain; those characteristics are not only dependent on the intrinsic diffusivity of 4 He in a mineral but also on any enhanced 4 He diffusivity that might be related to shock-induced structural damage. [6] We have explored the viability of (U-Th)/He impact dating by investigating materials collected at the well-studied ∼90 km diameter Manicouagan impact structure located in northern Quebec, Canada [e.g., Onorato et al, 1978;Simonds et al, 1978;Grieve and Head, 1983;Spray et al, 2010] ( Figures 1a and 1b). The Manicouagan structure features a well-preserved, up to 1.4 km thick, crystalline impact melt sheet that has been subdivided into three lithologic units based on mineralogy and chemistry O'Connell-Cooper and Spray, 2011].…”

Section: Resetting Kinetics Of (U-th)/hementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

(U‐Th)/He dating of terrestrial impact structures: The Manicouagan example

Soest

Hodges

Wartho

et al. 2011

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] The accurate dating of meteorite impact structures on Earth has proven to be challenging. Melt sheets are amenable to high-precision dating by the U-Pb and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar methods, but many impact events do not produce them, or they are not preserved. In cases where high-temperature shock metamorphism of the target materials has occurred without widespread melting, these isotopic chronometers may be partially reset and yield dates that are difficult to interpret unambiguously as the age of impact. However, the (U-Th)/He chronometer is sensitive to thermal resetting and can provide a powerful new tool for dating impactites. We report (U-Th)/He dates for accessory minerals from the Manicouagan impact structure in Quebec, Canada. Nine zircons from a melt sheet sample yield a weighted mean age of 213.2 ± 5.4 Ma (2SE), indistinguishable from the published 214 ± 1 Ma (2s) U-Pb zircon age for the impact. In contrast, five apatites from this sample yield dates between 205.9 ± 6.5 and 162.0 ± 5.3 Ma (2s), indicating variable postimpact helium loss due to low-temperature thermal disturbance. Preimpact titanite crystals from a shocked meta-anorthosite sample yield two dates consistent with the impact age, at 212 ± 27 and 214 ± 13 Ma (2s), and two younger dates of 189.6 ± 6.9 and 192.2 ± 9.8 Ma (2s), suggestive of postimpact helium loss. These results indicate that (U-Th)/He chronometry is a suitable method for dating impact events, although interpretation of the results requires recognition of possible 4 He loss related to reheating subsequent to impact.

show abstract

Section: Dated Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resetting Kinetics Of (U-th)/hementioning

confidence: 99%

(U‐Th)/He dating of terrestrial impact structures: The Manicouagan example

Soest

Hodges

Wartho

et al. 2011

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, Spray et al. () noted that Manicouagan anorthosite target rocks are dominated by An 50 plagioclase and Pickersgill et al. () reported similar anorthosite plagioclase compositions of An 47–55 from Mistastin Lake compared to the An 88–98 plagioclase in OA 001; interestingly, Pickersgill et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Petrogenesis of lunar impact melt rock meteorite Oued Awlitis 001

Wittmann

Korotev

Jolliff

et al. 2018

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Oued Awlitis 001 is a highly feldspathic, moderately equilibrated, clast‐rich, poikilitic impact melt rock lunar meteorite that was recovered in 2014. Its poikilitic texture formed due to moderately slow cooling, which judging from textures of rocks in melt sheets of terrestrial impact structures, is observed in impact melt volumes at least 100 m thick. Such coherent impact melt volumes occur in lunar craters larger than ~50 km in diameter. The composition of Oued Awlitis 001 points toward a crustal origin distant from incompatible‐element‐rich regions. Comparison of the bulk composition of Oued Awlitis 001 with Lunar Prospector 5° γ‐ray spectrometer data indicates a limited region of matches on the lunar farside. After its initial formation in an impact crater larger than ~50 km in diameter, Oued Awlitis 001 was excavated from a depth greater than ~50 m. The cosmogenic nuclide inventory of Oued Awlitis 001 records ejection from the Moon 0.3 Ma ago from a depth of at least 4 m and little mass loss due to ablation during its passage through Earth's atmosphere. The terrestrial residence time must have been very short, probably less than a few hundred years; its exact determination was precluded by a high concentration of solar cosmic ray‐produced 14C. If the impact that excavated Oued Awlitis 001 also launched it, this event likely produced an impact crater >10 km in diameter. Using petrologic constraints and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera and Diviner data, we test Giordano Bruno and Pierazzo as possible launch craters for Oued Awlitis 001.

show abstract

“…Impact melts from crystallized coherent sheets can often look like porphyritic igneous rocks (Therriault et al, 2002;Spray et al, 2010), making image identification difficult. Distinguishing such materials from igneous rocks is probably not possible with the payload of Curiosity.…”

Section: Possible Impactite Materials Observed By Curiositymentioning

confidence: 99%