Globally distributed iridium layer preserved within the Chicxulub impact structure.
File(s)goderis2021.pdf (5.39 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction is marked globally by elevated concentrations of iridium, emplaced by a hypervelocity impact event 66 million years ago. Here, we report new data from four independent laboratories that reveal a positive iridium anomaly within the peak-ring sequence of the Chicxulub impact structure, in drill core recovered by IODP-ICDP Expedition 364. The highest concentration of ultrafine meteoritic matter occurs in the post-impact sediments that cover the crater peak ring, just below the lowermost Danian pelagic limestone. Within years to decades after the impact event, this part of the Chicxulub impact basin returned to a relatively low-energy depositional environment, recording in unprecedented detail the recovery of life during the succeeding millennia. The iridium layer provides a key temporal horizon precisely linking Chicxulub to K-Pg boundary sections worldwide.
Date Issued
2021-02-24
Date Acceptance
2021-01-11
Citation
Science Advances, 2021, 7 (9), pp.1-14
ISSN
2375-2548
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Start Page
1
End Page
14
Journal / Book Title
Science Advances
Volume
7
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.
Sponsor
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33627429
PII: 7/9/eabe3647
Grant Number
NE/P005217/1
Subjects
IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 Scientists
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2021-02-24