Science, Vol.269, No.5226, 930-935, 1995
Emplacement of Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary Shocked Quartz from Chicxulub Crater
Observations on shocked quartz in Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary sediments compellingly tied to Chicxulub crater raise three problems. First, in North America shocked quartz occurs above the main K-T ejecta layer. Second, shocked quartz is more abundant west than east of Chicxulub. Third, shocked quartz reached distances requiring initial Velocities up to 8 kilometers per second, corresponding to shock pressures that would produce melt, not the moderate-pressure shock lamellae observed. Shock devolatilization and the expansion of carbon dioxide and water from impacted wet carbonate, producing a warm, accelerating fireball after the initial hot fireball of silicate vapor, may explain all three problems.
Keywords:IMPACT STRUCTURE;K/T BOUNDARY;MELT ROCK;EXTINCTION;TEKTITES;MEXICO;EJECTA;EVENT;HAITI;GLASS