Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures
Large meteorite impact structures on the terrestrial bodies of the Solar System contain pronounced topographic rings, which emerged from uplifted target (crustal) rocks within minutes of impact. To flow rapidly over large distances, these target rocks must have weakened drastically, but they subsequ...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
2018
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72817 |
| _version_ | 1848762849943355392 |
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| author | Riller, U. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Schulte, F. Collins, G. Melosh, H. Grieve, R. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Lofi, J. Diaw, A. McCall, N. Kring, D. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Green, S. Lofi, J. Chenot, E. Christeson, G. Claeys, P. Cockell, C. Coolen, Marco Ferrière, L. Gebhardt, C. Goto, K. Jones, H. Kring, D. Xiao, L. Lowery, C. Ocampo-Torres, R. Perez-Cruz, L. Pickersgill, A. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Rasmussen, C. Rebolledo-Vieyra, M. Riller, U. Sato, H. Smit, J. Tikoo-Schantz, S. Tomioka, N. Whalen, M. Wittmann, A. Yamaguchi, K. Fucugauchi, J. Bralower, T. |
| author_facet | Riller, U. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Schulte, F. Collins, G. Melosh, H. Grieve, R. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Lofi, J. Diaw, A. McCall, N. Kring, D. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Green, S. Lofi, J. Chenot, E. Christeson, G. Claeys, P. Cockell, C. Coolen, Marco Ferrière, L. Gebhardt, C. Goto, K. Jones, H. Kring, D. Xiao, L. Lowery, C. Ocampo-Torres, R. Perez-Cruz, L. Pickersgill, A. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Rasmussen, C. Rebolledo-Vieyra, M. Riller, U. Sato, H. Smit, J. Tikoo-Schantz, S. Tomioka, N. Whalen, M. Wittmann, A. Yamaguchi, K. Fucugauchi, J. Bralower, T. |
| author_sort | Riller, U. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Large meteorite impact structures on the terrestrial bodies of the Solar System contain pronounced topographic rings, which emerged from uplifted target (crustal) rocks within minutes of impact. To flow rapidly over large distances, these target rocks must have weakened drastically, but they subsequently regained sufficient strength to build and sustain topographic rings. The mechanisms of rock deformation that accomplish such extreme change in mechanical behaviour during cratering are largely unknown and have been debated for decades. Recent drilling of the approximately 200-km-diameter Chicxulub impact structure in Mexico has produced a record of brittle and viscous deformation within its peak-ring rocks. Here we show how catastrophic rock weakening upon impact is followed by an increase in rock strength that culminated in the formation of the peak ring during cratering. The observations point to quasi-continuous rock flow and hence acoustic fluidization as the dominant physical process controlling initial cratering, followed by increasingly localized faulting. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:54:07Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-72817 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:54:07Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-728172019-01-15T01:02:15Z Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures Riller, U. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Schulte, F. Collins, G. Melosh, H. Grieve, R. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Lofi, J. Diaw, A. McCall, N. Kring, D. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Green, S. Lofi, J. Chenot, E. Christeson, G. Claeys, P. Cockell, C. Coolen, Marco Ferrière, L. Gebhardt, C. Goto, K. Jones, H. Kring, D. Xiao, L. Lowery, C. Ocampo-Torres, R. Perez-Cruz, L. Pickersgill, A. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Rasmussen, C. Rebolledo-Vieyra, M. Riller, U. Sato, H. Smit, J. Tikoo-Schantz, S. Tomioka, N. Whalen, M. Wittmann, A. Yamaguchi, K. Fucugauchi, J. Bralower, T. Large meteorite impact structures on the terrestrial bodies of the Solar System contain pronounced topographic rings, which emerged from uplifted target (crustal) rocks within minutes of impact. To flow rapidly over large distances, these target rocks must have weakened drastically, but they subsequently regained sufficient strength to build and sustain topographic rings. The mechanisms of rock deformation that accomplish such extreme change in mechanical behaviour during cratering are largely unknown and have been debated for decades. Recent drilling of the approximately 200-km-diameter Chicxulub impact structure in Mexico has produced a record of brittle and viscous deformation within its peak-ring rocks. Here we show how catastrophic rock weakening upon impact is followed by an increase in rock strength that culminated in the formation of the peak ring during cratering. The observations point to quasi-continuous rock flow and hence acoustic fluidization as the dominant physical process controlling initial cratering, followed by increasingly localized faulting. 2018 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72817 10.1038/s41586-018-0607-z Nature Publishing Group restricted |
| spellingShingle | Riller, U. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Schulte, F. Collins, G. Melosh, H. Grieve, R. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Lofi, J. Diaw, A. McCall, N. Kring, D. Morgan, J. Gulick, S. Green, S. Lofi, J. Chenot, E. Christeson, G. Claeys, P. Cockell, C. Coolen, Marco Ferrière, L. Gebhardt, C. Goto, K. Jones, H. Kring, D. Xiao, L. Lowery, C. Ocampo-Torres, R. Perez-Cruz, L. Pickersgill, A. Poelchau, M. Rae, A. Rasmussen, C. Rebolledo-Vieyra, M. Riller, U. Sato, H. Smit, J. Tikoo-Schantz, S. Tomioka, N. Whalen, M. Wittmann, A. Yamaguchi, K. Fucugauchi, J. Bralower, T. Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures |
| title | Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures |
| title_full | Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures |
| title_fullStr | Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures |
| title_short | Rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures |
| title_sort | rock fluidization during peak-ring formation of large impact structures |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72817 |