All ICDP Publications with Abstracts
From parent-sysfolder "Publications" + 2 folder-levels deep
544.
Mineralogic and textural analyses of drill cuttings from the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) boreholes: Initial interpretations of fault zone composition and constraints on geologic models
Geosphere,
3
(5)
299-318
2007
ISSN: 1553040XKeywords:▾
borehole; cutting; deformation mechanism; drilling; fault zone; geophysical method; granite; mineralogy; numerical model; sedimentary rock; seismic velocity; slip; texture, California; San Andreas; United States
Abstract: ▾ We examine drill cuttings from the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) boreholes to determine the lithology and deformational textures in the fault zones and host rocks. Cutting samples represent the lithologies from 1.7-km map distance and 3.2-km vertical depth adjacent to the San Andreas Fault. We analyzed two hundred and sixty-six grain-mount thin-sections at an average of 30-m-cuttings sample spacing from the vertical 2.2-km-deep Pilot Hole and the 3.99-km-long Main Hole. We identify Quaternary and Tertiary(?) sedimentary rocks in the upper 700 m of the holes; granitic rocks from 760-1920 m measured depth; arkosic and lithic arenites, interbedded with siltstone sequences, from 1920 to ~3150 m measured depth; and interbedded siltstones, mudstones, and shales from 3150 m to 3987 m measured depth. We also infer the presence of at least five fault zones, which include regions of damage zone and fault core on the basis of percent of cataclasite abundances, presence of deformed grains, and presence of alteration phases at 1050, 1600-2000, 2200-2500, 2700-3000, 3050-3350, and 3500 m measured depth in the Main Hole. These zones are correlated with borehole geophysical signatures that are consistent with the presence of faults. If the deeper zones of cataclasite and alteration intensity connect to the surface trace of the San Andreas Fault, then this fault zone dips 80-85° southwest, and consists of multiple slip surfaces in a damage zone ~250-300 m thick. This interpretation is supported by borehole geophysical studies, which show this area is a region of low seismic velocities, reduced resistivity, and variable porosity.
543.
Numerical modeling of impact-induced hydrothermal activity at the Chicxulub crater
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(1)
93-112
2007
Abstract: ▾ Large impact events like the one that formed the Chicxulub crater deliver significant amounts of heat that subsequently drive hydrothenmal activity. We report on numerical modeling of Chicxulub crater cooling with and without the presence of water. The model inputs are constrained by data from borehole samples and seismic, magnetic, and gravity surveys. Model results indicate that initial hydrothermal activity was concentrated beneath the annular trough as well as in the permeable breccias overlying the melt. As the system evolved, the melt gradually cooled and became permeable, shifting the bulk of the hydrothermal activity to the center of the crater. The temperatures and fluxes of fluid and vapor derived from the model are consistent with alteration patterns observed in the available borehole samples. The lifetime of the hydrothermal system ranges from 1.5 to 2.3 Myr depending on assumed permeability. The long lifetimes are due to conduction being the dominant mechanism of heat transport in most of the crater, and significant amounts of heat being delivered to the near-surface by hydrothermal upwellings. The long duration of the hydrothermal system at Chicxulub should have provided ample time for colonization by thermophiles and/or hyperthermophiles. Because habitable conditions should have persisted for longer time in the central regions of the crater than on the periphery, a search for prospective biomarkers is most likely to be fruitful in samples from that region. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007.
542.
Lithostratigraphic and petrographic analysis of ICDP drill core LB-07A, Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
569 – 589
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ Lithostratigraphic and petrographic studies of drill core samples from the 545.08 m deep International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) borehole LB-07A in the Bosumtwi impact structure revealed two sequences of impactites below the post-impact crater sediments and above coherent basement rock. The upper impactites (333.38-415.67 m depth) comprise an alternating sequence of suevite and lithic impact breccias. The lower impactite sequence (415.67-470.55 m depth) consists essentially of monomict impact breccia formed from meta-graywacke with minor shale, as well as two narrow injections of suevite, which differ from the suevites of the upper impactites in color and intensity of shock metamorphism of the clasts. The basement rock (470.55-545.08 m depth) is composed of lower greenschist-facies metapelites (shale, schist and minor phyllite), meta-graywacke, and minor meta-sandstone, as well as interlaminated quartzite and calcite layers. The basement also contains a number of suevite dikelets that are interpreted as injection veins, as well as a single occurrence of granophyric-textured rock, tentatively interpreted as a hydrothermally altered granitic intrusion likely related to the regional pre-impact granitoid complexes. Impact melt fragments are not as prevalent in LB-07A suevite as in the fallout suevite facies around the northern crater rim; on average, 3.6 vol% of melt fragments is seen in the upper suevites and up to 18 vol% in the lower suevite occurrences. Shock deformation features observed in the suevites and polymict lithic breccias include planar deformation features in quartz (1 to 3 sets), rare diaplectic quartz glass, and very rare diaplectic feldspar glass. Notably, no ballen quartz, which is abundant in the fallout suevites, has been found in the within-crater impact breccias. An overall slight increase in the degree of shock metamorphism occurs with depth in the impactites, but considerably lower shock degrees are seen in the suevites of the basement rocks, which show similar features to each other. The bulk of the suevite in LB-07A appears to have been derived from the <35 GPa shock zone of the transient crater. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
541.
Origin and temporal evolution of Ko'olau Volcano, Hawai'i: Inferences from isotope data on the Ko'olau Scientific Drilling Project (KSDP), the Honolulu Volcanics and ODP Site 843
Earth and Planetary Science Letters,
261
(1-2)
65-83
2007
ISSN: 0012821XKeywords:▾
Lithosphere; Mantle plumes; Radial zonation, Isotopes; Lithology; Melting; Seismology; Volcanic rocks, Volcanoes, basalt; igneous geochemistry; isotopic composition; lava; lead isotope; mantle plume; neodymium isotope; Ocean Drilling Program; strontium isotope; volcanic rock, Hawaii [United States]; Hawaiian Islands; Koolau; North America; Oahu; Pacific islands; Pacific Ocean; United States
Abstract: ▾ The "Ko'olau" component of the Hawaiian mantle plume represents an extreme (EM1-type) end member of Hawaiian shield lavas in radiogenic isotope space, and was defined on the basis of the composition of subaerial lavas exposed in the Makapu'u section of Ko'olau Volcano. The 679 m-deep Ko'olau Scientific Drilling Project (KSDP) allows the long-term evolution of Ko'olau Volcano to be reconstructed and the longevity of the "Ko'olau" component in the Hawaiian plume to be tested. Here, we report triple spike Pb isotope and Sr and Nd isotope data on KSDP core samples, and rejuvenation stage Honolulu Volcanics (HV) (together spanning ∼ 2.8 m.y.), and from ∼ 110 Ma basalts from ODP Site 843, thought to be representative of the Pacific lithosphere under Hawai'i. Despite overlapping ranges in Pb isotope ratios, KSDP and HV lavas form two distinct linear arrays in 208Pb/204Pb-206Pb/204Pb isotope space. These arrays intersect at the radiogenic end indicating they share a common component. This "Kalihi" component has more radiogenic Pb, Nd, Hf, but less radiogenic Sr isotope ratios than the "Makapu'u" component. The mixing proportions of these two components in the lavas oscillated through time with a net increase in the "Makapu'u" component upsection. Thus, the "Makapu'u" enriched component is a long-lived feature of the Hawaiian plume, since it is present in the main shield-building stage KSDP lavas. We interpret the changes in mixing proportions of the Makapu'u and Kalihi components as related to changes in both the extent of melting as well as the lithology (eclogite vs. peridotite) of the material melting as the volcano moves away from the plume center. The long-term Nd isotope trend and short-term Pb isotope fluctuations seen in the KSDP record cannot be ascribed to a radial zonation of the Hawaiian plume: rather, they reflect the short length-scale heterogeneities in the Hawaiian mantle plume. Linear Pb isotope regressions through the HV, recent East Pacific Rise MORB and ODP Site 843 datasets are clearly distinct, implying that no simple genetic relationship exists between the HV and the Pacific lithosphere. This observation provides strong evidence against generation of HV as melts derived from the Pacific lithosphere, whether this be recent or old (100 Ma). The depleted component present in the HV is unlike any MORB-type mantle and most likely represents material thermally entrained by the upwelling Hawaiian plume and sampled only during the rejuvenated stage. The "Kalihi" component is predominant in the main shield building stage lavas but is also present in the rejuvenated HV. Thus this material is sampled throughout the evolution of the volcano as it moves from the center (main shield-building stage) to the periphery (rejuvenated stage) of the plume. The presence of a plume-derived material in the rejuvenated stage has significant implications for Hawaiian mantle plume melting models. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
540.
Orthogonal to oblique rifting: Effect of rift basin orientation in the evolution of the North basin, Malawi Rift, East Africa
Basin Research,
19
(3)
393-407
2007
ISSN: 0950091XKeywords:▾
basin evolution; displacement; rift zone; rifting; seismic data; strike-slip fault, Africa; East Africa; Malawi; Sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract: ▾ The East African Rift system has long been considered the best modern example of the initial stages of continental rifting. The Malawi Rift is characteristic of the western branch of the East African Rift system, composed of half-grabens of opposing asymmetry along its length. There are striking similarities between basins within the Malawi Rift, and others along the western branch. Each exhibits similar bathymetry, border-fault length, rift zone width and fault segment length. The North Basin of the Malawi Rift differs from others in the rift only in its orientation: trending NW-SE as opposed to N-S. Although there is general agreement as to the geometry of the Malawi Rift; debate as to the amount of strike-slip vs. dip-slip deformation and the influence of underlying Pan-African foliation remains. This study presents new data from a closely spaced shallow [2 s two-way travel time (TWT)] seismic reflection data set integrated with basin-scale deeper (6 s TWT) seismic reflection data that document the structural evolution of the border and intra-basin faults. These data reveal that the different trend of the North Basin, most likely to have been influenced by the underlying Pan-African foliation, has played an extremely important role in the structural style of basin evolution. The border-fault and intra-basin structures nucleated during extension that was initially orthogonal (ENE). During this time (>8.6 to ∼0.5-0.4 Ma) intra-basin faults synthetic to the west-dipping border-fault nucleated, whereas strain was localised on the segmented border-fault early on. A later rotation of extension orientation (to NW) led to these established faults orienting oblique to rifting. This generated an overall dextral strike-slip setting that led to the development of transfer faults adjacent to the border-fault, and the generation of flower structures and folds over the greater displacement intra-basin faults. © © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
539.
Overview and significance of a 250 ka paleoclimate record from El'gygytgyn Crater Lake, NE Russia
Journal of Paleolimnology,
37
(1)
1-16
2007
ISSN: 09212728Keywords:▾
arctic environment; climate change; core analysis; crater lake; paleoclimate; paleolimnology; proxy climate record; seismic data, Chukchi; Eurasia; Lake El'gygytgyn; Russian Federation
Abstract: ▾ Sediment piston cores from Lake El'gygytgyn (67°N, 172°E), a 3.6 million year old meteorite impact crater in northeastern Siberia, have been analyzed to extract a multi-proxy millennial-scale climate record extending to nearly 250 ka, with distinct fluctuations in sedimentological, physical, biochemical, and paleoecological parameters. Five major themes emerge from this research. First the pilot cores and seismic data show that El'gygytygn Crater Lake contains what is expected to be the longest, most continuous terrestrial record of past climate change in the entire Arctic back to the time of impact. Second, processes operating in the El'gygytygn basin lead to changes in the limnogeology and the biogeochemistry that reflect robust changes in the regional climate and paleoecology over a large part of the western Arctic. Third, the magnetic susceptibility and other proxies record numerous rapid change events. The recovered lake sediment contains both the best-resolved record of the last interglacial and the longest terrestrial record of millennial scale climate change in the Arctic, yielding a high fidelity multi-proxy record extending nearly 150,000 years beyond what has been obtained from the Greenland Ice Sheet. Fourth, the potential for evaluating teleconnections under different mean climate states is high. Despite the heterogeneous nature of recent Arctic climate change, millennial scale climate events in the North Atlantic/Greenland region are recorded in the most distal regions of the Arctic under variable boundary conditions. Finally, deep drilling of the complete depositional record in Lake El'gygytgyn will offer new insights and, perhaps, surprises into the late Cenozoic evolution of Arctic climate. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
538.
Petrography and shock-related remagnetization of pyrrhotite in drill cores from the Bosumtwi Impact Crater Drilling Project, Ghana
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
811 – 827
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ Rock magnetic and magnetic mineralogy data are presented from the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drill cores LB-07A and LB-08A of the Bosumtwi impact structure in order to understand the magnetic behavior of impact and target lithologies and their impact-related remagnetization mechanism. Basic data for the interpretation of the magnetic anomaly patterns and the magnetic borehole measurements as well as for new magnetic modeling are provided. Magnetic susceptibility (150-500 × 10-6 SI) and natural remanent magnetization (10-3-10-1 A/m) are generally weak, but locally higher values up to 10.6 × 10-3 SI and 43 A/m occur. Sixty-three percent of the investigated rock specimens show Q values above 1 indicating that remanence clearly dominates over induced magnetization, which is a typical feature of impact structures. Ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite is the main magnetite phase, which occurs besides minor magnetite and a magnetic phase with a Curie temperature between 330 and 350 °C, interpreted as anomalous pyrrhotite. Coercive forces are between 20 and 40 mT. Brecciation and fracturing of pyrrhotite is a common feature confirming its pre-impact origin. Grain sizes of pyrrhotite show a large variation but the numerous stress-induced nanostructures observable by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are assumed to behave as single-domain grains. We suggest that the drilled rocks lost their pre-shock remanence memory during the shock event and acquired a new, stable remanence during shock-induced grain size reduction. The observed brittle microstructures indicate temperatures not higher than 250 °C, which is below the Curie temperature of ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite (310 °C). © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
537.
Petrography, geochemistry, and alteration of country rocks from the Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
513 – 540
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ Samples of the country rocks that likely constituted the target rocks at the 1.07 Myr old Bosumtwi impact structure in Ghana, West Africa, collected outside of the crater rim in the northern and southern parts of the structure, were studied for their petrographic characteristics and analyzed for their major- and trace-element compositions. The country rocks, mainly meta-graywacke, shale, and phyllite of the Early Proterozoic Birimian Supergroup and some granites of similar age, are characterized by two generations of alteration. A pre-impact hydrothermal alteration, often along shear zones, is characterized by new growth of secondary minerals, such as chlorite, sericite, sulfides, and quartz, or replacement of some primary minerals, such as plagioclase and biotite, by secondary sericite and chlorite. A late, argillic alteration, mostly associated with the suevites, is characterized by alteration of the melt/glass clasts in the groundmass of suevites to phyllosilicates. Suevite, which occurs in restricted locations to the north and to the south-southwest of the crater rim, contains melt fragments, diaplectic quartz glass, ballen quartz, and clasts derived from the full variety of target rocks. No planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz were found in the country rock samples, and only a few quartz grains in the suevite samples show PDFs, and in rare cases two sets of PDFs. Based on a total alkali element-silica (TAS) plot, the Bosumtwi granites have tonalitic to quartz-dioritic compositions. The Nb versus Y and Ta versus Yb discrimination plots show that these granites are of volcanic-arc tectonic provenance. Provenance studies of the metasedimentary rocks at the Bosumtwi crater have also indicated that the metasediments are volcanic-arc related. Compared to the average siderophile element contents of the upper continental crust, both country rocks and impact breccias of the Bosumtwi structure show elevated siderophile element contents. This, however, does not indicate the presence of an extraterrestrial component in Bosumtwi suevite, because the Birimian country rocks also have elevated siderophile element contents, which is thought to result from regional hydrothermal alteration that is also related to widespread sulfide and gold mineralization. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
536.
Geochemistry of impactites and basement lithologies from ICDP borehole LB-07A, Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
667-688
2007
Abstract: ▾ In 2004, a drilling project by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) at the Bosumtwi impact crater, Ghana (1.07 Myr old and 10.5 km in diameter), obtained drill core LB-07A, which sampled impactites and underlying metasediments in the crater moat surrounding the small central uplift of the structure. The LB-07A core consists of three sequences: 82.29 m of an upper impactite sequence of alternating polymict lithic and suevitic impact breccias overlying 54.88 m of so-called lower impactite of monomict impact breccia with several suevite intercalations, and 74.53 m of meta-graywacke and altered shale of the basement, also containing a number of suevite intercalations. Major- and trace-element characteristics of all three sequences have been determined to investigate breccia formation and the role of the respective basement lithologies therein. Compositions of polymict impact breccias of the crater fill revealed by core LB-07A are compared with the compositions of the Ivory Coast tektites and the fallout suevites. The impactites of the LB-07A borehole appear well homogenized with respect to the silicate component, and little change in the ranges of many major- and trace-element differences is seen along the length of the borehole (except for Fe2O3, MgO, and CaO contents). Much scatter is observed for a number of elements, and in many cases this increases with depth. It is proposed that any variability in composition is likely the function of clast population differences (i.e., also of relatively small sample sizes). No systematic compositional difference between polymict lithic and suevitic impact breccias is evident. An indication of carbonate enrichment due to hydrothermal alteration is observed in samples from all lithologies. The impactites of the borehole generally show intermediate compositions to previously defined target rocks. The fallout suevites have comparable major element abundances, except for relatively lower MgO contents. The Ivory Coast tektites are generally similar in composition to the LB-07A suevites, but broader ranges in MgO and CaO contents are observed for the LB-07A suevites. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
535.
Petrological and seismic studies of the lithosphere in the earthquake swarm region Vogtland/NW Bohemia, central Europe
Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research,
159
(1-3)
33 – 69
2007
ISSN: 03770273Keywords:▾
Bohemia; Central Europe; Czech Republic; Eger; Eurasia; Europe; Germany; Heves; Hungary; Vogtland; Barometers; Earthquakes; Geothermal fields; Lithology; Petrology; Seismology; Thermometers; Volcanic rocks; earthquake swarm; lithosphere; mantle chemistry; Moho; petrology; Quaternary; seismic velocity; teleseismic wave; tephra; upper mantle; xenolith; Earthquake swarm region; Lithosphere; Quaternary volcanism; Seismic structure; Volcanoes
Abstract: ▾ New petrological and geochemical data of upper mantle and lower crustal xenoliths from a Quaternary tephra deposit in Mýtina, Czech Republic, are discussed in the frame of previous geophysical results (receiver functions, reflection seismology) of the western Eger/Ohře Rift area. The Vogtland/NW Bohemia region is well known for intraplate earthquake swarms, which are usually associated with volcanic activity. As previously reported, 3He/4He data of CO2 emissions in mofettes and mineral-water springs point at ongoing magmatic processes in this area. Using teleseismic P receiver functions, an approximately 40-km-wide Moho updoming (from 31 to 27 km) and indications for a seismic discontinuity at 50 to 60 km depth were observed beneath the active CO2-degassing field. The studied xenolith suite probes a lithospheric profile within the structural and gas geochemical anomaly field of the western Eger Rift. With regard to texture, composition, p-T estimates and origin, five xenolith groups can be discriminated. Upper crustal xenoliths (quartzites, phyllites, mica schists) resemble crystalline country rocks at surface. One noritic xenolith (6 kbar, 800 °C) could represent a sample of the lower crust. Clinopyroxenites and hornblendites probably represent cumulates of the nephelinitic magma or fragments of magmatic veins. Porous wehrlites and one hornblende peridotite xenolith reflect a metasomatied upper mantle. Megacrysts of Ti-rich amphibole, olivine, clinopyroxene, and phlogopite could be fragments of pegmatitic veins or high-pressure phenocrysts. Most of the ultramafic nodules (xenoliths and megacrysts) formed at pressures between 6 and 11 kbar (22 to 38 km depth), at temperatures well above regional geotherms of the Bohemian Massif calculated from surface heat flow studies. Orthopyroxene-bearing spinel-lherzolite xenoliths were not observed. Our petrographical, geochemical, and thermobarometric results indicate a lithospheric mantle strongly altered by magmatic processes. This metasomatism can cause slower than typical uppermost-mantle seismic velocities in a greater area and might help to explain observed seismic anomalies. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
534.
Low-velocity damage zone on the san andreas fault at depth near SAFOD site at parkfield delineated by fault-zone trapped waves
Scientific Drilling
(1 SUPPL. 1)
73-77
2007
ISSN: 18168957533.
On the fate of carbonates and anhydrite in impact processes – evidence from the Chicxulub event
GFF,
129
(2)
155-160
2007
Abstract: ▾ In context of the “K/T” Chicxulub cratering event, the amounts of impact-released CO2and SOxas well as the consequences of this gaseous input into the atmosphere are discussed. It has been assumed that degassing of the sediments is an abrupt and violent effect, only related to the amplitude of the post-shock temperature after pressure decay. Here we provide evidence for a different, slow and probably equally important process of devolatilization: degassing and dissociation of sedimentary clasts in impact breccias. The sulfate and carbonate clasts in suevites, melt breccias, and melt rocks from the Chicxulub drill cores Y-6, C-1, and YAX-1, underwent various thermal effects, ranging from solid state re-crystallization over reaction with silicate melt to form pyroxene (diopside), melting (and re-crystallization) to total decomposition with dissolution of the lime in the melt matrix. These features reflect high, yet different formation temperatures of the breccias, and to a smaller degree, the fragment size. © 1996 Scandinavian University Press.
532.
Lithological and structural characteristics of the Lake Bosumtwi impact crater, Ghana: Interpretation of acoustic televiewer images
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
779 – 792
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ Bosumtwi is a very well-preserved 1.07 Myr old, complex terrestrial impact crater located in south-central Ghana, West Africa. The impact structure has a diameter of about 10.5 km and was formed in 2.1-2.2 Gyr Precambrian metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks. Drilling and logging was carried out during the Lake Bosumtwi Drilling Project (BCDP) which was supported by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). One of the aims of this project is to achieve detailed information on the subsurface structure and crater fill of one of the best preserved large young impact structures. We interpreted the wireline logs and televiewer images. The physical properties including shallow resistivity, p-wave velocity, magnetic susceptibility, and borehole diameter of the breccia differ significantly from those of the meta-graywackes and slate/phyllites. Fractures observed in the televiewer images are interpreted to determine their characteristic structural features. The fracture dip angles are steep (50-70°) and the two main dip directions are southeast and southwest. Most fractures observed in the borehole are open. The indicated main stress direction is north-south. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
531.
In situ seismic measurements in borehole LB-08A in the Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana: Preliminary interpretation
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
755 – 768
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ In order to assist in the interpretation of previous seismic refraction and reflection surveys, a vertical seismic profile was acquired in the Lake Bosumtwi (Ghana) hard-rock core hole LB-08A. No seismic reflections are seen in the up-going wave field obtained, and this observation is consistent with the lack of reflectivity observed in the corresponding 2-D surface seismic profile obtained in earlier studies. Direct down-going P-waves were found both in the cased sediment column from a depth of 73 m to 239 m below the lake surface and in the open-hole "hard rock" section from a depth of 239 m to 451 m of LB-08A. Analysis of the observed travel times indicates a nearly constant P-wave velocity of 1520 m/s through the soft lacustrine sediments. In the hard-rock, however, the P-wave velocity rapidly increases by nearly 30% from 2600 m/s to 3340 m/s. These values are in good agreement with the gross velocity structure obtained in the earlier joint inversion of seismic reflection and refraction data. These values are low relative to those expected for the metasedimentary protoliths, an observation that has been made at other young impact structures of similar size. The low velocities, together with the fact that they increase so rapidly, is suggestive of a decreasing density of fractures and microcracks with depth. Consequently, the seismic velocity trend may provide a proxy measure of damage, and hence, the decay of the shock pressure from the impact point. Validation of this requires additional detailed studies of the porosity structure in the core. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
530.
Hydrothermal alteration in the Bosumtwi impact structure: Evidence from 2M1-muscovite, alteration veins, and fracture fillings
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
655-666
2007
Abstract: ▾ Drill-core samples from the Bosumtwi impact structure (1.07 Myr old and 10.5 km in diameter) in Ghana exhibit mineralogical evidence for post-impact hydrothermal alteration. Nine samples of drill core obtained through the 2004 International Continental Scientific Drilling Project (ICDP) were studied, including an uppermost fallback layer overlying impactite breccias, and partly deformed massive meta-graywacke bedrock. The petrographic study revealed alteration veins containing secondary sericitic muscovite (comparable to 2M1-muscovite) crosscutting original bedding in meta-graywacke and forming a matrix between clasts in impactite breccias. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that these impactite samples are rich in 2M1-muscovite, consistent with post-impact fluid deposition and alteration. Optical analysis indicates the presence of a pre-impact stratiform chlorite in meta-graywacke samples and a secondary alteration chlorite occurring in all samples. Secondary illite was detected in upper impactites of drill core LB-08A and samples containing accretionary lapilli. The lower temperature constraint for the hydrothermal event is given by 2M1-muscovite, secondary chlorite, and illite, all of which form at temperatures greater than 280 °C. An absence of recrystallization of quartz and feldspar indicates an upper temperature constraint below 900 °C. The presence of alteration materials associated with fractures and veins in the uppermost impactites of drill cores LB-07A and LB-08A indicates that a post-impact hydrothermal system was present in and adjacent to the central uplift portion of the Bosumtwi impact structure. A sample containing accretionary lapilli obtained from drill core LB-05A exhibits limited evidence that hydrothermal processes were more widespread within the impactites on the crater floor. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
529.
Leaky mode: A mechanism of horizontal seismic attenuation in a gas-hydrate-bearing sediment
Geophysics,
72
(5)
E159-E163
2007
ISSN: 00168033
Publisher: Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Keywords:▾
Absorption; Computer simulation; Elastic waves; Mathematical models; Seismic waves; Two dimensional; Wave propagation, Gas-hydrate-bearing sediment; Seismic attenuation, Gas hydrates, absorption; gas hydrate; seismic attenuation; seismic velocity; seismic wave; simulation; wave propagation
Abstract: ▾ The leaky mode is a possible attenuation mechanism of seismic waves propagating along lamination in gas-hydrate-bearing sediment layers. This horizontal propagation attenuation mechanism occurs when a high-velocity layer is embedded in a low-velocity zone. This is a typical situation for gas hydrate occurrences. To quantify this attenuation mechanism, a 2D digital rock model based on the crosswell data of the Mallik 2002 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program is used. For simplicity, our elastic simulations exclude attenuation mechanisms like scattering loss or intrinsic absorption. We demonstrate that the leaky mode is a significant horizontal attenuation mechanism that cannot be neglected. The effective attenuation of gas-hydrate-bearing sediments is a combination of intrinsic and scattering attenuation by small-scale heterogeneties and the leaky mode. © 2007 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.
528.
Hydrothermal alteration in the Bosumtwi impact structure: Evidence from 2M1-muscovite, alteration veins, and fracture fillings
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
655 – 666
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ Drill-core samples from the Bosumtwi impact structure (1.07 Myr old and 10.5 km in diameter) in Ghana exhibit mineralogical evidence for post-impact hydrothermal alteration. Nine samples of drill core obtained through the 2004 International Continental Scientific Drilling Project (ICDP) were studied, including an uppermost fallback layer overlying impactite breccias, and partly deformed massive meta-graywacke bedrock. The petrographic study revealed alteration veins containing secondary sericitic muscovite (comparable to 2M1-muscovite) crosscutting original bedding in meta-graywacke and forming a matrix between clasts in impactite breccias. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that these impactite samples are rich in 2M1-muscovite, consistent with post-impact fluid deposition and alteration. Optical analysis indicates the presence of a pre-impact stratiform chlorite in meta-graywacke samples and a secondary alteration chlorite occurring in all samples. Secondary illite was detected in upper impactites of drill core LB-08A and samples containing accretionary lapilli. The lower temperature constraint for the hydrothermal event is given by 2M1-muscovite, secondary chlorite, and illite, all of which form at temperatures greater than 280 °C. An absence of recrystallization of quartz and feldspar indicates an upper temperature constraint below 900 °C. The presence of alteration materials associated with fractures and veins in the uppermost impactites of drill cores LB-07A and LB-08A indicates that a post-impact hydrothermal system was present in and adjacent to the central uplift portion of the Bosumtwi impact structure. A sample containing accretionary lapilli obtained from drill core LB-05A exhibits limited evidence that hydrothermal processes were more widespread within the impactites on the crater floor. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
527.
Impact cratering - Fundamental process in geoscience and planetary science
Journal of Earth System Science,
116
(2)
81-98
2007
Abstract: ▾ Impact cratering is a geological process characterized by ultra-fast strain rates, which generates extreme shock pressure and shock temperature conditions on and just below planetary surfaces. Despite initial skepticism, this catastrophic process has now been widely accepted by geoscientists with respect to its importance in terrestrial - indeed, in planetary - evolution. About 175 impact structures have been discovered on Earth so far, and some more structures are considered to be of possible impact origin. One major extinction event, at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, has been firmly linked with catastrophic impact, but whether other important extinction events in Earth history, including the so-called "Mother of All Mass Extinctions" at the Permian-Triassic boundary, were triggered by huge impact catastrophes is still hotly debated and a subject of ongoing research. There is a beneficial side to impact events as well, as some impact structures worldwide have been shown to contain significant (in some cases, world class) ore deposits, including the gold-uranium province of the Witwatersrand basin in South Africa, the enormous Ni and PGE deposits of the Sudbury structure in Canada, as well as important hydrocarbon resources, especially in North America. Impact cratering is not a process of the past, and it is mandatory to improve knowledge of the past-impact record on Earth to better constrain the probability of such events in the future. In addition, further improvement of our understanding of the physico-chemical and geological processes fundamental to the impact cratering process is required for reliable numerical modeling of the process, and also for the correlation of impact magnitude and environmental effects. Over the last few decades, impact cratering has steadily grown into an integrated discipline comprising most disciplines of the geosciences as well as planetary science, which has created positive spin-offs including the study of paleo-environments and paleo-climatology, or the important issue of life in extreme environments. And yet, in many parts of the world, the impact process is not yet part of the geoscience curriculum, and for this reason, it deserves to be actively promoted not only as a geoscientific discipline in its own right, but also as an important life-science discipline.
526.
Halogen systematics in the Mallik 5L-38 gas hydrate production research well, Northwest Territories, Canada: Implications for the origin of gas hydrates under terrestrial permafrost conditions
Applied Geochemistry,
22
(3)
656-675
2007
ISSN: 08832927Keywords:▾
Earth atmosphere; Gas hydrates; Natural gas wells; Seawater; Sedimentology, Gas hydrate production; Gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ); Halogen systematics; Pore waters, Halogen compounds, bromine; coastal sediment; enrichment; gas hydrate; iodine; methane; mixing; organic matter; permafrost; porewater; seawater, Canada; Mackenzie Delta; North America; Northwest Territories
Abstract: ▾ The authors report here halogen concentrations in pore waters and sediments collected from the Mallik 5L-38 gas hydrate production research well, a permafrost location in the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada. Iodine and Br are commonly enriched in waters associated with CH4, reflecting the close association between these halogens and source organic materials. Pore waters collected from the Mallik well show I enrichment, by one order of magnitude above that of seawater, particularly in sandy layers below the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). Although Cl and Br concentrations increase with depth similar to the I profile, they remain below seawater values. The increase in I concentrations observed below the GHSZ suggests that I-rich fluids responsible for the accumulation of CH4 in gas hydrates are preferentially transported through the sandy permeable layers below the GHSZ. The Br and I concentrations and I/Br ratios in Mallik are considerably lower than those in marine gas hydrate locations, demonstrating a terrestrial nature for the organic materials responsible for the CH4 at the Mallik site. Halogen systematics in Mallik suggest that they are the result of mixing between seawater, freshwater and an I-rich source fluid. The comparison between I/Br ratios in pore waters and sediments speaks against the origin of the source fluids within the host formations of gas hydrates, a finding compatible with the results from a limited set of 129I/I ratios determined in pore waters, which gives a minimum age of 29 Ma for the source material, i.e. at the lower end of the age range of the host formations. The likely scenario for the gas hydrate formation in Mallik is the derivation of CH4 together with I from the terrestrial source materials in formations other than the host layers through sandy permeable layers into the present gas hydrate zones. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
525.
Impactities as a random medium - Using variations in physical properties to assess heterogeneity within the Bosumtwi meteorite impact crater
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
849 – 858
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ The recent drilling of the Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana, has provided a unique opportunity to study the petrophysical properties of a young, well-preserved impact crater. The damage induced by impact results in extensive fracturing and mixing of target materials. We discuss here a means of using sonic velocity and density logs from two boreholes through the Bosumtwi crater fill and basement to estimate the degree of heterogeneity and fracturing within the impacted target, in order to understand the discrepancy between the large impedances derived from the log data and the nonreflective zone of impactites observed in seismic sections. Based on an analysis of the stochastic fluctuations in the log data, the Bosumtwi impactites are characterized by vertical scale lengths of 2-3 m. From the resolution of the seismic data over the crater, horizontal scale lengths are estimated at <12 m. The impactites therefore fall within the quasi-homogeneous scattering regime, i.e., seismic energy will propagate through the medium with little disruption. Scale lengths as small as these are observed in the fractured basement rocks of impact structures, whereas non-impact related crystalline environments are characterized by scale lengths an order of magnitude larger. Assuming that the high-frequency fluctuations observed in the log data are more sensitive to fracture distribution than petrology, this suggests that the small scale lengths observed within impact structures are characteristic of impact-induced damage, and could be used to estimate the extent of fracturing undergone by the rocks at any depth below an impact structure. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.
524.
Implication of seismic attenuation for gas hydrate resource characterization, Mallik, Mackenzie Delta, Canada
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth,
112
(10)
2007
ISSN: 21699313
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Keywords:▾
gas hydrate; permafrost; seismic attenuation; seismic data, Canada; Mackenzie Delta; North America; Northwest Territories
Abstract: ▾ Wave attenuation is an important physical property of hydrate-bearing sediments that is rarely taken into account in site characterization with seismic data. We present a field example showing improved images of hydrate-bearing sediments on seismic data after compensation of attenuation effects. Compressional quality factors estimated from zero-offset Vertical Seismic Profiling data acquired at Mallik, Northwest Territories, Canada, demonstrate significant wave attenuation for hydrate-bearing sediments. These results are in agreement with previous attenuation estimates obtained from sonic logs and crosshole data at different frequency intervals. The application of an inverse Q-filter to compensate attenuation effects of permafrost and hydrate-bearing sediments improved the resolution of surface 3D seismic data and its correlation with log data, particularly for the shallowest gas hydrate interval. Compensation of the attenuation effects of the permafrost likely explains most of the improvements for the shallow gas hydrate zone. Our results show that characterization of the Mallik gas hydrates with seismic data not corrected for attenuation would tend to overestimate thicknesses and lateral extent of hydrate-bearing strata and hence, the volume of hydrates in place. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.
523.
Impact melting in sedimentary target rocks: An assessment
Special Paper of the Geological Society of America,
4371-18
2007
Abstract: ▾ Despite being present in the target sequence of ∼70% of the world's known impact structures, the response of sedimentary rocks to hypervelocity impact remains poorly understood. Of particular significance is the relative importance and role of impact melting versus decomposition in carbonate and sulfate lithologies. In this work, we review experimental evidence and phase equilibria and synthesize these data with observations from studies of naturally shocked rocks from several terrestrial impact sites. Shock experiments on carbonates and sulfates currently provide contrasting and ambiguous results. Studies of naturally shocked materials indicate that impact melting is much more common in sedimentary rocks than previously thought. This is in agreement with the phase relations for calcite. A summary of the criteria for the recognition of impact melts derived from sedimentary rocks is presented, and it is hoped that this will stimulate further studies of impact structures in sedimentary target rocks. This assessment leads us to conclude that impact melting is common during hypervelocity impact into both crystalline and sedimentary rocks. However, the products are texturally and chemically distinct, which has led to much confusion in the past, particularly in terms of the recognition of impact melts derived from sedimentary rocks. © 2008 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.
522.
Inorganic geochemistry of El'gygytgyn Lake sediments (northeastern Russia) as an indicator of paleoclimatic change for the last 250 kyr
Journal of Paleolimnology,
37
(1)
123-133
2007
ISSN: 09212728Keywords:▾
chemical alteration; climate change; geochemistry; inorganic compound; lacustrine deposit; paleoclimate; Quaternary; sediment chemistry, Chukchi; Eurasia; Lake El'gygytgyn; Russian Federation
Abstract: ▾ The inorganic geochemistry of sediments from El'gygytgyn Lake shift in phase with interpreted paleoclimatic fluctuations seen in the record over the past 250 ka. Warm periods, when the lake was seasonally ice free and fully mixed, are characterized by increased concentrations of SiO2, CaO, Na2O, K2O, and Rb, by decreased contents of TiO 2, Fe2O3, Al2O3, and MgO, and by a lower chemical index of alteration (CIA). Increased levels of SiO 2 reflect increases in limnic productivity whereas many of the other elements and the CIA likely reflect increased hydrological activity coincident with an increase in coarser sand and silt content and a decrease in clay mineral content. For cold/cooler periods when perennial lake ice cover lead to a stratifed water column and anoxic bottom waters, the opposite is generally observed suggesting a decrease in hydrological activity and an increase in post-depositional chemical alteration. Peaks in P2O3 and MnO, coincident with an increased abundance of vivianite, suggest possible linkages to the paleoproductivity of local fish fauna regardless of climate change across the region surrounding Lake El'gygytgyn. Strontium is high in concentration during warmer intervals and may also be linked to paleoproductivity. Enrichment of the post-Eemian portion of the sediment record in niobium, and yttrium appears independent of glacial-interglacial change; rather it may reflect a gradual shift in the geomorphology of the catchment, particularly the hydrology of large alluvial fans along the western side of the lake. In contrast to some lake records, changes in Zr concentration over time suggests only a weak, if any, increase in eolian sediment supply during colder periods. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
521.
Lake Van Drilling Project: A long continental record in eastern Turkey
Scientific Drilling
(4)
40-41
2007
ISSN: 18168957520.
Integrated 3-D model from gravity and petrophysical data at the Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana
Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
42
(4-5)
859 – 866
2007
ISSN: 10869379
Publisher: University of Arkansas
Abstract: ▾ The Bosumtwi impact structure of central Ghana was drilled in 2004 as part of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). A vast amount of geoscience data is available from the pre-site surveys and the actual drilling phase. A 3-D gravity model was constructed and calibrated with the available data from the two ICDP boreholes, LB-07A and LB-08A. The 3-D gravity model results agree well with both the sediment thickness and size of the central uplift revealed by previously collected seismic data, and with the petrophysical data from the LB-08A and LB-07A core materials and the two borehole logs. Furthermore, the model exhibits lateral density variations across the structure and refines the results from previous 2.5-D modeling. An important new element of the 3-D model is that the thickness of the intervals comprising polymict lithic impact breccia and suevite, monomict lithic breccia and fractured basement is much smaller than that predicted by numerical modeling. © The Meteoritical Society, 2007. Printed in USA.