KT Boundary Chromites Determined to be Terrestrial: Cr Isotopic Evidence for Excavation and Ejection of Mafic/Ultramafic Rocks by the KT Boundary Impact

(整期优先)网络出版时间:2017-06-27
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Evidenceforamantleand/orbasalticcomponentinKTboundarydistalejectaisapparentlyinconsistentwithejectionfromChicxulubCratersinceitislocatedon~35kmthickcontinentalcrust(DePaoloetal.,1983;Montanarietal.,1983;HildebrandandBoynton,1988,1990).Evidenceformafic/ultramafictargetrockswasreinforcedbydiscoveryofchromites,somewithshockplanardeformationfeatures(PDF),inimpactlayersamplesfromsitesinsouthernColoradoandeasternWyoming(Bohoretal.,1990).However,untilnowitwasunclearwhetherthechromitesoriginatedwithanimpactororwithterrestrialtargetrocks.Tothisend,high-precision54Cr/52CrisotoperatiosweremeasuredonKTboundarychromitesalongwithknownterrestrialchromites.Wefindaterrestrial54Cr/52CrratioinKTboundarychromitesfromimpactlayersamplescollectedattheabovesitesoverthelastseveralyears(Fig.1).Ejectedterrestrialchromitessuggesttheimpactsampledterrestrialmaficand/orultramafictargetrocksnotknowntoexistintheChicxulubtargetarea.