Late Eocene microkrystites and microtektites at Maud Rise (Ocean Drilling Project Hole 689B; Southern Ocean) suggest a global extension of the approximately 35.5 Ma Pacific impact ejecta strewn field

Abstract— Late Eocene microtektites and microkrystites recovered from Ocean Drilling Project Hole 689B at Maud Rise (Southern Ocean) are stratigraphically and geochemically compared to spherules from the North American and Pacific strewn fields, and to devitrified spherules from the Eocene‐Oligocene...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Meteoritics & Planetary Science
Main Authors: VONHOF, H. B., SMIT, J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1999
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01387.x
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1945-5100.1999.tb01387.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01387.x
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Summary:Abstract— Late Eocene microtektites and microkrystites recovered from Ocean Drilling Project Hole 689B at Maud Rise (Southern Ocean) are stratigraphically and geochemically compared to spherules from the North American and Pacific strewn fields, and to devitrified spherules from the Eocene‐Oligocene global stratotype section and point section in Massignano, Italy. The ODP 689B microkrystites compare well to the Pacific strewn field microkrystites, which suggests that the geographic extent of the Pacific strewn field was much larger than previously documented. The elemental composition of microtektites of ODP Hole 689B is comparable to tektites of the North American strewn field. Their 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio, however, is different. We tentatively interpret this to reflect geochemical heterogeneity within the North American strewn field but can not exclude the option that the chemical discrepancies result from the existence of a third late Eocene impact site.