A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact

IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 Science Party; Third-Party Scientists

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15269-x

A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact

IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 Science Party, Third-Party Scientists

Geology and Geochemistry

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The environmental severity of large impacts on Earth is influenced by their impact trajectory. Impact direction and angle to the target plane affect the volume and depth of origin of vaporized target, as well as the trajectories of ejected material. The asteroid impact that formed the 66 Ma Chicxulub crater had a profound and catastrophic effect on Earth’s environment, but the impact trajectory is debated. Here we show that impact angle and direction can be diagnosed by asymmetries in the subsurface structure of the Chicxulub crater. Comparison of 3D numerical simulations of Chicxulub-scale impacts with geophysical observations suggests that the Chicxulub crater was formed by a steeply-inclined (45–60° to horizontal) impact from the northeast; several lines of evidence rule out a low angle (<30°) impact. A steeply-inclined impact produces a nearly symmetric distribution of ejected rock and releases more climate-changing gases per impactor mass than either a very shallow or near-vertical impact.

Original language	English
Article number	1480
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	11
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15269-x
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2020

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge the developers of iSALE3D, in particular Dirk Elbeshausen and Kai Wünnemann (www.isale-code.de). We thank the reviewers for their constructive feedback that improved the paper. Funding support is acknowledged from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (grants ST/N000803/1 and ST/S000615/1) and the Natural Environment Research Council (grants NE/P011195/1 and NE/P005217/1) as well as the National Science Foundation (grants OCE-1737351, OCE-1450528, OCE-1736826). This work was performed in part using the DiRAC Data Intensive service at Leicester, operated by the University of Leicester IT Services, which forms part of the STFC DiRAC HPC Facility (www.dirac.ac.uk). The equipment was funded by BEIS capital funding via STFC capital grants ST/K000373/1 and ST/R002363/1 and STFC DiRAC Operations grant ST/R001014/1. DiRAC is part of the National e-Infrastructure. This is UTIG contribution 3636.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation	OCE-1450528, OCE-1736826, OCE-1737351
Directorate for Geosciences	1736826, 1737351, 1450528
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UK Government
Natural Environment Research Council	NE/P011195/1, NE/P005217/1
Science and Technology Facilities Council	ST/S000615/1, ST/R002363/1, ST/N000803/1, ST/K000373/1, ST/R001014/1

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10.1038/s41467-020-15269-x

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@article{954188eb91374e1baa49ba9a755e4c45,

title = "A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact",

abstract = "The environmental severity of large impacts on Earth is influenced by their impact trajectory. Impact direction and angle to the target plane affect the volume and depth of origin of vaporized target, as well as the trajectories of ejected material. The asteroid impact that formed the 66 Ma Chicxulub crater had a profound and catastrophic effect on Earth{\textquoteright}s environment, but the impact trajectory is debated. Here we show that impact angle and direction can be diagnosed by asymmetries in the subsurface structure of the Chicxulub crater. Comparison of 3D numerical simulations of Chicxulub-scale impacts with geophysical observations suggests that the Chicxulub crater was formed by a steeply-inclined (45–60° to horizontal) impact from the northeast; several lines of evidence rule out a low angle (<30°) impact. A steeply-inclined impact produces a nearly symmetric distribution of ejected rock and releases more climate-changing gases per impactor mass than either a very shallow or near-vertical impact.",

author = "Collins, {G. S.} and N. Patel and Davison, {T. M.} and Rae, {A. S.P.} and Morgan, {J. V.} and Gulick, {S. P.S.} and Christeson, {G. L.} and E. Chenot and P. Claeys and Cockell, {C. S.} and Coolen, {M. J.L.} and L. Ferri{\`e}re and C. Gebhardt and K. Goto and H. Jones and Kring, {D. A.} and J. Lofi and Lowery, {C. M.} and R. Ocampo-Torres and L. Perez-Cruz and Pickersgill, {A. E.} and Poelchau, {M. H.} and C. Rasmussen and M. Rebolledo-Vieyra and U. Riller and H. Sato and J. Smit and Tikoo, {S. M.} and N. Tomioka and J. Urrutia-Fucugauchi and Whalen, {M. T.} and A. Wittmann and L. Xiao and Yamaguchi, {K. E.} and N. Artemieva and Bralower, {T. J.} and {IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 Science Party} and {Third-Party Scientists}",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-020-15269-x",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

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T1 - A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact

AU - Collins, G. S.

AU - Patel, N.

AU - Davison, T. M.

AU - Rae, A. S.P.

AU - Morgan, J. V.

AU - Gulick, S. P.S.

AU - Christeson, G. L.

AU - Chenot, E.

AU - Claeys, P.

AU - Cockell, C. S.

AU - Coolen, M. J.L.

AU - Ferrière, L.

AU - Gebhardt, C.

AU - Goto, K.

AU - Jones, H.

AU - Kring, D. A.

AU - Lofi, J.

AU - Lowery, C. M.

AU - Ocampo-Torres, R.

AU - Perez-Cruz, L.

AU - Pickersgill, A. E.

AU - Poelchau, M. H.

AU - Rasmussen, C.

AU - Rebolledo-Vieyra, M.

AU - Riller, U.

AU - Sato, H.

AU - Smit, J.

AU - Tikoo, S. M.

AU - Tomioka, N.

AU - Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J.

AU - Whalen, M. T.

AU - Wittmann, A.

AU - Xiao, L.

AU - Yamaguchi, K. E.

AU - Artemieva, N.

AU - Bralower, T. J.

AU - IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 Science Party

AU - Third-Party Scientists

PY - 2020/12/1

Y1 - 2020/12/1

N2 - The environmental severity of large impacts on Earth is influenced by their impact trajectory. Impact direction and angle to the target plane affect the volume and depth of origin of vaporized target, as well as the trajectories of ejected material. The asteroid impact that formed the 66 Ma Chicxulub crater had a profound and catastrophic effect on Earth’s environment, but the impact trajectory is debated. Here we show that impact angle and direction can be diagnosed by asymmetries in the subsurface structure of the Chicxulub crater. Comparison of 3D numerical simulations of Chicxulub-scale impacts with geophysical observations suggests that the Chicxulub crater was formed by a steeply-inclined (45–60° to horizontal) impact from the northeast; several lines of evidence rule out a low angle (<30°) impact. A steeply-inclined impact produces a nearly symmetric distribution of ejected rock and releases more climate-changing gases per impactor mass than either a very shallow or near-vertical impact.

AB - The environmental severity of large impacts on Earth is influenced by their impact trajectory. Impact direction and angle to the target plane affect the volume and depth of origin of vaporized target, as well as the trajectories of ejected material. The asteroid impact that formed the 66 Ma Chicxulub crater had a profound and catastrophic effect on Earth’s environment, but the impact trajectory is debated. Here we show that impact angle and direction can be diagnosed by asymmetries in the subsurface structure of the Chicxulub crater. Comparison of 3D numerical simulations of Chicxulub-scale impacts with geophysical observations suggests that the Chicxulub crater was formed by a steeply-inclined (45–60° to horizontal) impact from the northeast; several lines of evidence rule out a low angle (<30°) impact. A steeply-inclined impact produces a nearly symmetric distribution of ejected rock and releases more climate-changing gases per impactor mass than either a very shallow or near-vertical impact.

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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-020-15269-x

DO - 10.1038/s41467-020-15269-x

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C2 - 32457325

AN - SCOPUS:85085513257

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 11

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 1480

ER -

A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact

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