Expedition 364 Chicxulub: Chicxulub Peak Ring Formation
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Earth Science and Engineering
Abstract
The Chicxulub impact crater, Mexico, is unique. It is the only known terrestrial impact structure that has been directly linked to a mass extinction event, and the only terrestrial impact with a global ejecta layer. Of the three largest impact structures on Earth, Chicxulub is the best preserved. Chicxulub is also the only known terrestrial impact structure with an intact, unequivocal topographic "peak ring". Chicxulub's role in the K-Pg mass extinction and its exceptional state of preservation make it an important natural laboratory for the study of both large impact crater formation on Earth and other planets, and the effects of large impacts on the Earth's environment and ecology. Our understanding of the impact process is far from complete and, despite over 30 years of intense debate, we are still striving to answer the question as to why this impact was so catastrophic.
Expedition 364 is the first drill hole into an intact topographic peak ring, and the first to penetrate the offshore portion of the Chicxulub crater. Peak rings are a ring of hills that protrude through the crater floor within large impact basins on the terrestrial planets, and there is no consensual agreement on either their formational mechanism or the nature of the rocks that form them. Geophysical data indicate that the peak ring at Chicxulub is formed from rocks that have a low velocity and density, and one explanation for this is that they are highly fractured and porous. Immediately after impact the peak ring was submerged under water, and located adjacent to a thick pool of hot melt rocks. Hence, we would expect intense hydrothermal activity within the peak ring. This activity may have provided a niche for exotic life forms, in a similar way that hydrothermal vent systems do in the oceans. Drilling the peak ring will determine the origin, lithology, and physical state of the rocks that form it, allow us to distinguish between competing models of peak-ring formation, as well as document the hydrothermal systems and any associated microbiology. Immediately after impact the ocean is, locally, likely to have been sterile. We will use core through the post-impact sediments to examine the recolonization of the ocean, including: what biota came back first (benthic, dinoflagellates, specialists vs generalists), and how long did it take to return to normal conditions?
The proposed drilling directly contributes to IODP goals in the: Deep Biosphere and the Subseafloor Ocean and Environmental Change, Processes and Effects, in particular the environmental and biological perturbations caused by Chicxulub.
Expedition 364 is the first drill hole into an intact topographic peak ring, and the first to penetrate the offshore portion of the Chicxulub crater. Peak rings are a ring of hills that protrude through the crater floor within large impact basins on the terrestrial planets, and there is no consensual agreement on either their formational mechanism or the nature of the rocks that form them. Geophysical data indicate that the peak ring at Chicxulub is formed from rocks that have a low velocity and density, and one explanation for this is that they are highly fractured and porous. Immediately after impact the peak ring was submerged under water, and located adjacent to a thick pool of hot melt rocks. Hence, we would expect intense hydrothermal activity within the peak ring. This activity may have provided a niche for exotic life forms, in a similar way that hydrothermal vent systems do in the oceans. Drilling the peak ring will determine the origin, lithology, and physical state of the rocks that form it, allow us to distinguish between competing models of peak-ring formation, as well as document the hydrothermal systems and any associated microbiology. Immediately after impact the ocean is, locally, likely to have been sterile. We will use core through the post-impact sediments to examine the recolonization of the ocean, including: what biota came back first (benthic, dinoflagellates, specialists vs generalists), and how long did it take to return to normal conditions?
The proposed drilling directly contributes to IODP goals in the: Deep Biosphere and the Subseafloor Ocean and Environmental Change, Processes and Effects, in particular the environmental and biological perturbations caused by Chicxulub.
Planned Impact
The publication procedure from IODP Expeditions is designed to gain maximum impact and timeliness. In addition to expedition reports, the science party are mandated to publish the results of their work within a strict time limit. We will ensure publication at the highest possible level of quality and visibility.
Other beneficiaries include:
1. The local population and next generation of young scientists in the Yucatan;
2. The mining and mineral exploration industries;
3. The insurance industry, regarding the financial consequences of impacts;
4. The general public.
1. The Yucatan government has invested significant funds in a new museum in the centre of Merida, Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (http://www.granmuseodelmundomaya.com), and a large Science Park just outside the city. We have met with the Director of Education for the Yucatan, as well as the Museum curators, and they propose to use the Chicxulub drilling for both tourism and educational purposes, including placing an exhibit with a replica drill core at one of these two locations.
2. The two other known terrestrial craters of a similar size to Chicxulub (Sudbury and Vredefort) are associated with significant mineral deposits. The peak ring may be rich in PGEs (or some other resource) and be of interest for future exploration.
3. The insurance industry has shown increasing support for studies of natural hazards, and impacts specifically, especially following the Chelyabinsk event in 2013 when videos of the meteor entry went viral. Simulations of impacts of various sizes provide critical user input into risk analysis studies leading, for example, to the development of new risk assessment tools for future impacts.
4. The public will benefit from outreach activities in Mexico, the UK and elsewhere (there are 30 science party members from 11 different countries). We propose to capitalize on the public's interest in the "death of the dinosaurs".
Other beneficiaries include:
1. The local population and next generation of young scientists in the Yucatan;
2. The mining and mineral exploration industries;
3. The insurance industry, regarding the financial consequences of impacts;
4. The general public.
1. The Yucatan government has invested significant funds in a new museum in the centre of Merida, Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (http://www.granmuseodelmundomaya.com), and a large Science Park just outside the city. We have met with the Director of Education for the Yucatan, as well as the Museum curators, and they propose to use the Chicxulub drilling for both tourism and educational purposes, including placing an exhibit with a replica drill core at one of these two locations.
2. The two other known terrestrial craters of a similar size to Chicxulub (Sudbury and Vredefort) are associated with significant mineral deposits. The peak ring may be rich in PGEs (or some other resource) and be of interest for future exploration.
3. The insurance industry has shown increasing support for studies of natural hazards, and impacts specifically, especially following the Chelyabinsk event in 2013 when videos of the meteor entry went viral. Simulations of impacts of various sizes provide critical user input into risk analysis studies leading, for example, to the development of new risk assessment tools for future impacts.
4. The public will benefit from outreach activities in Mexico, the UK and elsewhere (there are 30 science party members from 11 different countries). We propose to capitalize on the public's interest in the "death of the dinosaurs".
Publications
Kring D
(2017)
Chicxulub and the Exploration of Large Peak-Ring Impact Craters through Scientific Drilling
in GSA Today
Riller U
(2018)
Author Correction: Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures.
in Nature
Riller U
(2018)
Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures.
in Nature
Timms N
(2019)
New shock microstructures in titanite (CaTiSiO5) from the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact structure, Mexico
in Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
Gulick SPS
(2019)
The first day of the Cenozoic.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Rae A
(2019)
Impact-Induced Porosity and Microfracturing at the Chicxulub Impact Structure
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Rae A
(2019)
Stress-Strain Evolution During Peak-Ring Formation: A Case Study of the Chicxulub Impact Structure
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Urrutia-Fucugauchi J
(2019)
Peering inside the peak ring of the Chicxulub Impact Crater-its nature and formation mechanism
in Geology Today
Timms N
(2020)
Shocked titanite records Chicxulub hydrothermal alteration and impact age
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Collins GS
(2020)
A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact.
in Nature communications
Description | Shock Metamorphism in Peak-Rings Large impact events cause unique conditions that change the nature of rocks. When a large extra-terrestrial body impacts Earth at high velocity (> 25,000 mph), the energy from the impact is transferred into the target by a shock wave, temporarily causing those rocks to experience extreme pressures and temperatures. Research from this project has quantified the pressure within the shock wave as it was passing through the rocks that form the Chicxulub peak ring. Additionally, this project has discovered the first naturally-produced shock metamorphism within the mineral Titanite. This particular mineral is useful for measuring the ages of rocks and metamorphic events, and consequently may be of considerable significance for the dating of Chicxulub, and other craters in general. Porosity of Peak-Rings In addition to the metamorphic changes that occur during shock and cratering, rocks also change their physical properties: density, velocity, magnetic properties etc. Expedition 364 has shown that rocks become extra-ordinarily porous during the impact process, work during this project has shown that the high porosities are caused by shock-induced micro-fractures which are aligned. Additionally, this project has developed a new methodology to calibrate X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) scans such that they quantitative values for density and atomic number can be calculated. New method of analysing deformation in numerical impact simulations Numerical simulations of the Chicxulub Impact event were carried out. Within this project, a new method of determining the deformation of simulated rocks was developed. This analysis facilitates direct comparison between structural geological observations of rocks in impact craters with numerical simulations. Constraining rheological parameters of rocks during peak ring formation. An additional primary reason to carry out numerical impact simulations was to compare observations of the structural history, physical properties, and shock within peak ring rocks with models. Results show a remarkable consistency between the "dynamic collapse model of peak ring formation" and the observations. |
Exploitation Route | The 4 main non-academic beneficiaries include: 1. The Yucatan government has used Expedition 364 as an opportunity to enthuse the local population about science, encourage the young to opt for science subjects at school and university, and choose a career in science. In May 2018, the first research meeting at the new Science Park just outside Merida will take place, discussing the results of this project. Additionally, Expedition 364 has carried out significant education outreach activities, facilitated by two dedicated education officers with contributions from all of the expedition scientists. 2. The two other known terrestrial craters of a similar size to Chicxulub (Sudbury and Vredefort) are associated with significant mineral deposits. As the peak ring rocks analysed in our research show evidence of mineralisation, our results will be of interest to the mining industry. Furthermore, the analysis of porosity within impacted rocks is of importance to the transport of fluids within impact craters, and therefore, the work of this project may contribute to the development of hydrocarbon reservoir models in impact craters. 3. The insurance industry has shown increasing support for studies of natural hazards, and asteroid impacts specifically. Our refined simulations of the Chicxulub impact provides input into risk analysis studies, which might lead to the development of new risk assessment tools for future impacts. 4. The public has benefited from outreach activities in Mexico, the UK and elsewhere (there are 30 science party members from 11 different countries). Expedition 364 has already received significant media attention (e.g., http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35950946). Research results from this project that were published in Science and GSA Today have also generated significant meda attentions (e.g., http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38019604). |
Sectors | Education,Energy,Environment,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy |
URL | http://publications.iodp.org/proceedings/364/364title.html |
Description | The Yucatan government has used Expedition 364 as an opportunity to enthuse the local population about science, encourage the young to opt for science subjects at school and university, and choose a career in science. In May 2018, the first research meeting at the new Science Park just outside Merida will take place, discussing the results of this project. Additionally, Expedition 364 has carried out significant education outreach activities, facilitated by two dedicated education officers with contributions from all of the expedition scientists. The public has benefited from outreach activities in Mexico, the UK and elsewhere (there are 30 science party members from 11 different countries). Expedition 364 has already received significant media attention (e.g., http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35950946). Research results from this project that were published in Science and GSA Today have also generated significant meda attentions (e.g., http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38019604). |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Planetary Origins and Evolution at Imperial (2019-2022) |
Amount | £870,129 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/S000615/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 03/2023 |
Title | Dataset for "A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact" |
Description | Data files for 5 timesteps from each simulation. File name convention is A<angle>_v<velocity>_t<time>.npz where time is in seconds (or the string "final"). Each file contains several cell-based fields (pressure, temperature, specific internal energy, density), tracer fields (peak tracer pressure, x,y,z locations) and grid information (nodal and cell-centred coordinates). For an example of how to access all that information, see the "Timestep" class at the top of the "plot_frame.py" python script. Python script "plot_frame.py" will create a figure similar to the panels in Figures 2 and 3 in the paper. Use the flags -a, -V and -t to set the desired impact angle, impact velocity and time. iSALE3D input files for the 8 simulations can be found in inputfiles.tgz Postprocessing python scripts can be found in postprocessing.tgz |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3667832 |
Title | Dataset for "A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact" |
Description | Data files for 5 timesteps from each simulation. File name convention is A<angle>_v<velocity>_t<time>.npz where time is in seconds (or the string "final"). Each file contains several cell-based fields (pressure, temperature, specific internal energy, density), tracer fields (peak tracer pressure, x,y,z locations) and grid information (nodal and cell-centred coordinates). For an example of how to access all that information, see the "Timestep" class at the top of the "plot_frame.py" python script. Python script "plot_frame.py" will create a figure similar to the panels in Figures 2 and 3 in the paper. Use the flags -a, -V and -t to set the desired impact angle, impact velocity and time. iSALE3D input files for the 8 simulations can be found in inputfiles.tgz Postprocessing python scripts can be found in postprocessing.tgz |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3667833 |
Title | iSALE shock physics code |
Description | iSALE (impact-SALE) is a multi-material, multi-rheology shock physics code for simulating high speed impacts and other violent geophysical phenomena. iSALE includes constitutive and porous-compaction models specifically developed for impact simulations. The code is being continually developed, improved and maintained by research groups at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin and Imperial College London. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2006 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | iSALE has been used in pioneering studies of the formation of large impact craters on the Earth and the influence of target property variations on crater formation, the influence of a water layer on crater formation, as well as investigating the mobility of large rock avalanches.The software has been extensively validated against laboratory experiments and used to show, for the first time in numerical simulations, the important effect of friction and porosity on crater growth in granular materials. |
URL | http://www.isale-code.github.io |
Description | A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact press release |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Press release and Imperial College News item about: A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact. Collins, G.S., Patel, N., Davison, T.M., Rae, A.S.P., Morgan, J.V., Gulick, S.P.S., Nature Communications 11, 1480. (2020). The work diagnoses the direction and angle of attack of the asteroid impact responsible for the KPg extinction. The impact angle was among the deadliest possible and constrains the volume of hazardous climate changing gases injected into the atmosphere. The work received widespread international media coverage. Led to several interviews with radio, internet and print media. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.altmetric.com/details/82771548 |
Description | Expert advice given to documentary producers to guide visual effects |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Several video calls over three years with producers and researchers from Silverback Films to develop graphics about the KPg mass extinction impact for a Netflix documentary series Life on Our Planet. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021,2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBqcdkgnT1E |
Description | Interview for documentary about Chicxulub impact |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interviewed for BBC/PBS production documentary series about Earth History to discuss the Chicxulub impact and its environmental consequences. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |