Microstructural and geochronological analysis of shocked zircon has greatly advanced understanding the formation and evolution of impact structures. However, fundamental aspects of shock-produced planar microstructures in zircon remain poorly known, such as their deformation mechanisms, crystallographic orientations, and how planar microstructures visible at the grain scale by scanning electron microscopy correlate to microstructures visible at sub-micrometer scales by transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). To unify observations of planar microstructures in zircon made at different scales into a consistent framework, we integrate the results of: (1) three-dimensional crystallographic modeling of planar microstructure orientations, with (2) 360° external prism backscattered electron imaging at the grain scale, and (3) polished section cathodoluminescence and EBSD analysis at the sub-micrometer scale for a suite of detrital shocked zircons eroded from the Vredefort Dome in South Africa. Our combined approach resulted in the documentation of seven planar microstructure orientations that can be correlated from grain to sub-micrometer scales of observation: (010), (100), (112), (11̄2), (1̄12), (1̄1̄2), and (011). All orientations of planar microstructures exhibit minor variations in style, however all are considered to be fractures; no amorphous ZrSiO4 lamellae were identified. We therefore favor the usage of "planar fracture" (PF) over "planar deformation feature" (PDF) for describing the observed planar microstructures in zircon based broadly on the nomenclature developed for shocked quartz. Some {112} PFs visible at the grain scale contain impact microtwins detectable by EBSD, and are the first report of polysynthetic twinning in zircon. The microtwins consist of parallel sets of thin lamellae of zircon oriented 65° about <110> and occur in multiple crosscutting {112} orientations within single grains. Curviplanar fractures and injected melt are additional impact-related microstructures associated with PF formation. Crosscutting relations of shock microstructures reveal the following chronology: (1) Early development of c-axis parallel PFs in (010) and (100) orientations; (2) the development of up to four {112} PFs, including some with microtwins; (3) the development of curviplanar fractures and the injection of impact derived melt; (4) the development of (011) PFs associated with compressional deformation; and (5) grain-scale non-discrete crystal plastic deformation. Experimental constraints for the onset of PFs, together with the absence of reidite, suggest formation conditions from 20 to 40 GPa for all of the planar microstructures described here.
A decade of U–Pb dating of zircon and monazite from high-grade metamorphic rocks in the Kapuskasing uplift has identified a series of magmatic and metamorphic events between 2700 and 2585 Ma, and indicates that the onset of regional granulite metamorphism took place at mid-crustal levels of the southern Superior craton ca. 2660 Ma. New U–Pb ages for zircon and monazite have been used to constrain the age of ductile deformation fabrics at two sites in the Ivanhoe Lake fault zone, the structure along which the granulite-facies Kapuskasing structural zone was uplifted. These results suggest that the fault zone was probably active in the late Archean (as young as 2630 Ma) and again at approximately 2500 Ma.
Abstract. Baddeleyite is a powerful chronometer of mafic magmatic and meteorite impact processes. High precision and accuracy U-Pb ages can be measured from single grains by isotope dilution thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS), but this requires destruction of the host rock for highly challenging grain isolation and dissolution. As a result, the technique is rarely applied to precious samples with very limited availability (such as lunar, Martian and asteroidal meteorites and returned samples) or samples containing small baddeleyite grains that cannot readily be isolated by conventional mineral separation techniques. Here, we use focused ion beam (FIB) techniques, utilising both Xe+ plasma and Ga+ ion sources, to liberate baddeleyite subdomains in-situ, allowing their extraction for ID-TIMS dating. We have analysed the U-Pb isotope systematics of domains ranging between 200 um and 10 um in length and 5 ug to 0.1 ug in mass. In total, seven domains of Phalaborwa baddeleyite extracted using a Xe+-pFIB yield a weighted mean 207 Pb/206 Pb age of 2060.1 ± 2.4 Ma (0.12 %; all uncertainties 2 sigma), within uncertainty of reference values. The smallest extracted domain (ca. 10 × 15 times; 10 um) yields an internal 207 Pb/206 Pb uncertainty of ±0.15 %. Comparable levels of precision are achieved using a Ga+-source FIB instrument (±0.20 %), though the slower cutting speed limits potential application to larger grains. While the U-Pb data are between 0.5 and 13.6 % discordant, the results generate a precise upper intercept age in U-Pb concordia space of 2061.1 × 7.4 Ma; (0.72 %). Importantly, the extent of discordance does not correlate with the ratio of material to ion-milled surface area, showing that the FIB extraction does not induce disturbance of U-Pb systematics even the smallest extracted domains. Instead, we confirm the natural U-Pb variation and discordance within the Phalaborwa baddeleyite population observed with other geochronological techniques. Our results demonstrate the FIB-TIMS technique to be a powerful tool for high-accuracy in-situ U-Pb dating, which makes a wide range of targets and processes newly accessible to geochronology.
Research Article| January 01, 1997 Dating the shock wave and thermal imprint of the giant Vredefort impact, South Africa D. E. Moser D. E. Moser 1Jack Satterly Geochronology Laboratory, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto M5S 2C6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1997) 25 (1): 7–10. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1997)025<0007:DTSWAT>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation D. E. Moser; Dating the shock wave and thermal imprint of the giant Vredefort impact, South Africa. Geology 1997;; 25 (1): 7–10. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1997)025<0007:DTSWAT>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract U-Pb geochronology of single grains of zircon and monazite has been used to date an episode of intense postimpact metamorphism in the core of the deeply eroded Vredefort impact structure of South Africa. Results from two basement units exposed in the uplifted central region indicate that the impact and a later pyroxene hornfels metamorphic event were penecontemporaneous at 2020 ± 3 Ma. Discovery of a synimpact to postimpact dike of norite that intruded at 2019 ± 2 Ma is the first recognition of mafic igneous activity related to impact. The dike is either derived from a Sudbury-type impact melt layer (since eroded) or is the product of decompression melting of Kaapvaal mantle in response to the ablation of >15 km of crust at the center of the crater. The combined heating effects of the shock wave and impact-triggered magmas are thought to have created the 300 km2 thermal imprint of the asteroid collision with Kaapvaal craton, and account for the nearly coeval timing relationship between core metamorphism and shock revealed by this study. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.
