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Urrutia-Fucugauchi et al. 1996
Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J., Marin, L. and Trejo-Garcia, A. (1996). UNAM Scientific Drilling Program of Chicxulub Impact Structure-Evidence for a 300 kilometer crater diameter. Geophysical Research Letters 23: doi: 10.1029/96GL01566. issn: 0094-8276.

As part of the UNAM drilling program at the Chicxulub structure, two 700 m deep continuously cored boreholes were completed between April and July, 1995. The Peto UNAM-6 and Tekax UNAM-7 drilling sites are ~150 km and 125 km, respectively, SSE of Chicxulub Puerto, near the crater's center. Core samples from both sites show a sequence of post-crater carbonates on top of a thick impact breccia pile covering the disturbed Mesozoic platform rocks. At UNAM-7, two impact breccia units were encountered: (1) an upper breccia, mean magnetic susceptibility is high (~55¿10-6 SI units), indicating a large component of silicate basement has been incorporated into this breccia, and (2) an evaporite-rich, low susceptibility impact breccia similar in character to the evaporite-rich breccias observed at the PEMEX drill sites further out. The upper breccia was encountered at ~226 m below the surface and is ~125 m thick; the lower breccia is immediately subjacent and is >240 m thick. This two-breccia sequence is typical of the suevite-Bunte breccia sequence found within other well preserved impact craters. The suevitic upper unit is not present at UNAM-6. Instead, a >240 m thick evaporite-rich breccia unit, similar to the lower breccia at UNAM-7, was encountered at a depth of ~280 m. The absence of an upper breccia equivalent at UNAM-6 suggests some portion of the breccia sequence has been removed by erosion. This is consistent with interpretations that place the high-standing crater rim at 130--150 km from the center. Consequently, the stratigraphic observations and magnetic susceptibility records on the upper and lower breccias (depth and thickness) support a ~300 km diameter crater model. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Planetology, Solid Surface Planets, Impact phenomena (includes cratering)
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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