Making an Impact: Exploring Advances in Meteorite and Mineralogical Studies in Planetary Science

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 22182

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Interests: experimental mineralogy and petrology; high pressure and temperature; planetary science; mineral physics; elasticity and deformation; synchrotron X-ray techniques

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Guest Editor
Central Park West at 79th Street, Department of Earth and Planetary Science, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
Interests: impact structures; shock metamorphism; geochronology; Raman spectroscopy; petrography

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Guest Editor
Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Geoscience 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Interests: planetary science; cosmochemistry; martian meteorites; enstatite-rich meteorites; martian petrology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Our collective knowledge of Planetary Sciences expands every day as we discover new meteorites and minerals, new information about how they formed, and new investigations of what occurs during impact processes. These new studies greatly expand our understanding of the chemical and physical origins of our Solar System and beyond. In keeping with this theme, we are excited to bring to your attention an upcoming Special Issue of Geosciences that is dedicated to new Planetary Science studies that are centred on meteorites, impacts, and mineralogical phenomena under a range of conditions found on terrestrial planetary bodies.

This Special Issue invites papers related to the analysis of impact structures, meteorites, and other similar planetary materials that advance our understanding of the origin and evolution of terrestrial planetary bodies both within the Solar System and beyond. Specifically, this Special Issue aims to provide an outlet for rapid, widely accessible publication of new peer-reviewed studies that advance the body of knowledge available on minerals, meteorites, and impacts. Potential topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Geochemical and Petrological Analysis of Meteorites and Their Mineralogy
  • New Experimental and Numerical Techniques for Studying Meteoritic Materials
  • Experimental Studies of Mineral (Meta)Stability
  • Studies of Impact Structures and Conditions
  • Simulation of Impact-like Conditions
  • Shock Effects on Rocks and Minerals

Contributions that involve field work, analytical studies, laboratory and experimental studies, remote studies, theoretical and numerical approaches, and any combination of the above are most welcome and will find a home in this Special Issue. Feel free to contact us with any ideas or questions you may have. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Dr. Matthew L. Whitaker
Dr. Steven J. Jaret
Dr. Arya Udry
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Meteorites
  • Impact Craters and Processes
  • Minerals
  • Extraterrestrial Materials
  • Phase Stability and Metastability
  • Experimental Studies
  • Planetary Science
  • Shock Effects
  • Theoretical Approaches
  • Extreme Conditions
  • Mineral Spectroscopy
  • Remote Sensing

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 13506 KiB  
Article
Post-Impact Faulting of the Holfontein Granophyre Dike of the Vredefort Impact Structure, South Africa, Inferred from Remote Sensing, Geophysics, and Geochemistry
by Martin D. Clark, Elizaveta Kovaleva, Matthew S. Huber, Francois Fourie and Chris Harris
Geosciences 2021, 11(2), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11020096 - 19 Feb 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3312
Abstract
Better characterization features borne from long-term crustal modification processes is essential for understanding the dynamics of large basin-forming impact structures on Earth. Within the deeply eroded 2.02 Ga Vredefort Impact Structure in South Africa, impact melt dikes are exposed at the surface. In [...] Read more.
Better characterization features borne from long-term crustal modification processes is essential for understanding the dynamics of large basin-forming impact structures on Earth. Within the deeply eroded 2.02 Ga Vredefort Impact Structure in South Africa, impact melt dikes are exposed at the surface. In this study, we utilized a combination of field, remote sensing, electrical resistivity, magnetic, petrographical, and geochemical techniques to characterize one such impact melt dike, namely, the Holfontein Granophyre Dike (HGD), along with the host granites. The HGD is split into two seemingly disconnected segments. Geophysical modeling of both segments suggests that the melt rock does not penetrate below the modern surface deeper than 5 m, which was confirmed by a later transecting construction trench. Even though the textures and clast content are different in two segments, the major element, trace element, and O isotope compositions of each segment are indistinguishable. Structural measurements of the tectonic foliations in the granites, as well as the spatial expression of the dike, suggest that the dike was segmented by an ENE–WSW trending sinistral strike-slip fault zone. Such an offset must have occurred after the dike solidified. However, the Vredefort structure has not been affected by any major tectonic events after the impact occurred. Therefore, the inferred segmentation of the HGD is consistent with long-term crustal processes occurring in the post-impact environment. These crustal processes may have involved progressive uplift of the crater floor, which is consistent with post-impact long-term crustal adjustment that has been inferred for craters on the Moon. Full article
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13 pages, 33347 KiB  
Article
Magnetic Anomaly and Model of the Lonar Meteorite Impact Crater in Maharashtra, India
by Kalle Kiik, Jüri Plado, Muddaramaiah Lingadevaru, Syed Hamim Jeelani and Mateusz Szyszka
Geosciences 2020, 10(10), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10100417 - 20 Oct 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4798
Abstract
The ground magnetic field of the Lonar impact crater (Maharashtra State, India) and its surrounding area was measured and studied utilizing 2.5-dimensional potential field modelling. Field data showed the crater depression is associated with a strong circular negative anomaly with an amplitude of [...] Read more.
The ground magnetic field of the Lonar impact crater (Maharashtra State, India) and its surrounding area was measured and studied utilizing 2.5-dimensional potential field modelling. Field data showed the crater depression is associated with a strong circular negative anomaly with an amplitude of more than 1000 nT. The negative anomaly, however, decreases smoothly while moving from south to north. Most of the crater rim exhibits anomalous positive values. Negative anomalies at the rim are seen in the south–southwestern sections and coinciding in the northeastern section with the Dhar valley. Our study shows that most of the anomaly is caused by the topographic effect and a strong SE directed natural remanent magnetization of Deccan Trap basalts, which are the target of the Lonar-creating projectile. The magnetic anomaly of the relatively weakly magnetized impact-produced allochthonous breccia and post-impact sediments is small, being less than 150 nT. Full article
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17 pages, 4641 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Potential Micrometeorites by Synchrotron Analysis
by Madison Esposito, Kevin Souhrada, Erin Garland, Mary Kroll, Robert Bolen, Victoria Hernandez, Janet Kaczmarek, David Meisel, Anya Swiss, Paul Northrup, Vivian Stojanoff, Juergen Thieme and Aleida Perez
Geosciences 2020, 10(7), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10070275 - 16 Jul 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4210
Abstract
Micrometeorites (MMs) are small particles that account for most of the extraterrestrial material deposited on Earth. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction allowed for chemical and mineral characterization to distinguish MM from atmospheric particulate. The relative components of iron, nickel, and other elements were [...] Read more.
Micrometeorites (MMs) are small particles that account for most of the extraterrestrial material deposited on Earth. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and diffraction allowed for chemical and mineral characterization to distinguish MM from atmospheric particulate. The relative components of iron, nickel, and other elements were considered in the identification of ferrous MM while high amounts of titanium were considered an indication that the particles were of atmospheric origin. Out of 100 samples collected by high school students and teachers, eight were taken to a synchrotron for analysis. Of those eight, three exhibited extraterrestrial compositions. X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis revealed that the same three samples contained sulfide, the main sulfur form constituent in MM. X-ray microdiffraction analysis showed the presence of the minerals pentlandite and forsterite. Collectively, these results support the extraterrestrial nature of the three particles. Full article
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21 pages, 1746 KiB  
Article
Petrologic History of Lunar Phosphates Accounts for the Water Content of the Moon’s Mare Basalts
by Antonio M. Álvarez-Valero, John F. Pernet-Fisher and Leo M. Kriegsman
Geosciences 2019, 9(10), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9100421 - 28 Sep 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3879
Abstract
We present reaction balancing and thermodynamic modeling based on microtextural observations and mineral chemistry, to constrain the history of phosphate crystallization within two lunar mare basalts, 10003 and 14053. Phosphates are typically found within intercumulus melt pockets (mesostasis), representing the final stages of [...] Read more.
We present reaction balancing and thermodynamic modeling based on microtextural observations and mineral chemistry, to constrain the history of phosphate crystallization within two lunar mare basalts, 10003 and 14053. Phosphates are typically found within intercumulus melt pockets (mesostasis), representing the final stages of basaltic crystallization. In addition to phosphates, these pockets typically consist of Fe-rich clinopyroxene, fayalite, plagioclase, ilmenite, SiO2, and a residual K-rich glass. Some pockets also display evidence for unmixing into two immiscible melts: A Si-K-rich and an Fe-rich liquid. In these cases, the crystallization sequence is not always clear. Despite petrologic complications associated with mesostasis pockets (e.g., unmixing), the phosphates (apatite and merrillite) within these areas have been recently used for constraining the water content in the lunar mantle. We compute mineral reaction balancing for mesostasis pockets from Apollo high-Ti basalt 10003 and high-Al basalt 14053 to suggest that their parental magmas have an H2O content of 25 ± 10 ppm, consistent with reported estimates based on directly measured H2O abundances from these samples. Our results permit to constrain in which immiscible liquid a phosphate of interest crystallizes, and allows us to estimate the extent to which volatiles may have partitioned into other phases such as K-rich glass or surrounding clinopyroxene and plagioclase using a non-destructive method. Full article
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Review

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21 pages, 2381 KiB  
Review
Identifying Gaps in the Investigation of the Vredefort Granophyre Dikes: A Systematic Literature Review
by Matthew S. Huber and Elizaveta Kovaleva
Geosciences 2020, 10(8), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10080306 - 9 Aug 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4943
Abstract
The Vredefort impact structure is among the oldest and largest impact structures preserved on Earth. An understanding of its key features can serve as a guide for learning about the development of basin-sized impact structures on Earth and other planetary bodies. One of [...] Read more.
The Vredefort impact structure is among the oldest and largest impact structures preserved on Earth. An understanding of its key features can serve as a guide for learning about the development of basin-sized impact structures on Earth and other planetary bodies. One of these features is the so-called Vredefort granophyre dikes, which formed when molten material from the impact melt sheet was emplaced below the crater floor. The importance of these dikes has been recognized since the earliest studies of the Vredefort structure, nearly 100 years ago. The present study is a systematic literature review to determine the extent to which peer-reviewed scientific publications have generated unique data regarding the granophyre dikes and to investigate how scientific methods used to investigate the granophyre have changed over time. In total, 33 unique studies have been identified. Of those, more studies have been performed into the core-collar dikes than the core dikes. The majority of the studies have focused on field analyses, bulk geochemistry, and the studies of mineral components. The granophyre has long been recognized as a product of post-deformational processes and thus has been a target of age dating to constrain the minimum age of the impact event. In the last 25 years, studies of stable isotopes and shock deformation of minerals in lithic clasts within the dikes have taken place. A small number of geophysical studies relevant to the granophyre dikes have also been undertaken. Overall, there has been a relatively small number of studies on this important rock type, and the studies that have taken place tend to focus on two particular dikes. Several of the dikes have only been investigated by regional studies and have not been specifically targeted. The use of modern techniques has been lacking. More fieldwork, as well as geophysical, isotopic, microstructural studies, and application of novel techniques, are necessary for the granophyre dikes to be truly understood. Full article
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