Toward quantification of strain-related mosaicity in shocked lunar and terrestrial plagioclase by in situ micro-X-ray diffraction

Studies of shock metamorphism of feldspar typically rely on qualitative petrographic observations, which, while providing invaluable information, can be difficult to interpret. Shocked feldspars, therefore, are now being studied in greater detail by various groups using a variety of modern techniques. We apply in situ micro-X-ray diffraction (μXRD) to shocked lunar and terrestrial plagioclase feldspar to contribute to the development of a quantitative scale of shock deformation for the feldspar group. Andesine and labradorite from the Mistastin Lake impact structure, Labrador, Canada, and anorthite from Earth's Moon, returned during the Apollo program, were examined using optical petrography and assigned to subgroups of the optical shock level classification system of Stöffler (1971). Two-dimensional μXRD patterns from the same samples revealed increased peak broadening in the chi dimension (χ), due to strain-related mosaicity, with increased optical signs of deformation. Measurement of the full width at half maximum along χ (FWHMχ) of these peaks provides a quantitative way to measure strain-related mosaicity in plagioclase feldspar as a proxy for shock level

Shock effects in plagioclase feldspar from the Mistastin Lake impact structure, Canada

Shock metamorphism, caused by hypervelocity impact, is a poorly understood process in feldspar due to the complexity of the crystal structure, the relative ease of weathering, and chemical variations, making optical studies of shocked feldspars challenging. Understanding shock metamorphism in feldspars, and plagioclase in particular, is vital for understanding the history of Earth's moon, Mars, and many other planetary bodies. We present here a comprehensive study of shock effects in andesine and labradorite from the Mistastin Lake impact structure, Labrador, Canada. Samples from a range of different settings were studied, from in situ central uplift materials to clasts from various breccias and impact melt rocks. Evidence of shock metamorphism includes undulose extinction, offset twins, kinked twins, alternate twin deformation, and partial to complete transformation to diaplectic plagioclase glass. In some cases, isotropization of alternating twin lamellae was observed. Planar deformation features (PDFs) are notably absent in the plagioclase, even when present in neighboring quartz grains. It is notable that various microlites, twin planes, and compositionally different lamellae could easily be mistaken for PDFs and so care must be taken. A pseudomorphous zeolite phase (levyne-Ca) was identified as a replacement mineral of diaplectic feldspar glass in some samples, which could, in some instances, also be potentially mistaken for PDFs. We suggest that the lack of PDFs in plagioclase could be due to a combination of structural controls relating to the crystal structure of different feldspars and/or the presence of existing planes of weakness in the form of twin and cleavage planes

Hopane biomarkers traced from bedrock to recent sediments and ice at the Haughton Impact Structure, Devon Island: Implications for the search for biomarkers on Mars

Hopanoid biomarkers have been traced from bedrock to ice in the Haughton Impact Structure, suggesting that they represent a promising strategy in the search for life in ice deposits on Mars and other icy bodies

Surface mineral crusts: A priority target in search for life on Mars

Mineral crusts are strong candidates in the search for evidence of life during planetary exploration, and should be an important target for examination in impact craters. Crusts in the Haughton crater readily yield a biological signature

Microbial preservation in sulfates in the Haughton impact structure suggests target in search for life on Mars

Microbes occur within transparent gypsum crystals in the Haughton crater. The crystals transmit light for photosynthesis, but protect from dehydration and wind. Sulfates on the Martian surface should be a priority target in the search for life

Simple devices for concentration of microbial life: Experiments in Haughton impact structure

Simple devices that create environments with high levels of light and moisture could attract extant microbial life on a planetary surface and hence enhance the detection of it. Experience in the Haughton crater shows that this can occur readily

An analysis of uncertainties and skill in forecasts of winter storm losses

This paper describes an approach to derive probabilistic predictions of local winter storm damage occurrences from a global medium-range ensemble prediction system (EPS). Predictions of storm damage occurrences are subject to large uncertainty due to meteorological forecast uncertainty (typically addressed by means of ensemble predictions) and uncertainties in modelling weather impacts. The latter uncertainty arises from the fact that local vulnerabilities are not known in sufficient detail to allow for a deterministic prediction of damages, even if the forecasted gust wind speed contains no uncertainty. Thus, to estimate the damage model uncertainty, a statistical model based on logistic regression analysis is employed, relating meteorological analyses to historical damage records. A quantification of the two individual contributions (meteorological and damage model uncertainty) to the total forecast uncertainty is achieved by neglecting individual uncertainty sources and analysing resulting predictions. Results show an increase in forecast skill measured by means of a reduced Brier score if both meteorological and damage model uncertainties are taken into account. It is demonstrated that skilful predictions on district level (dividing the area of Germany into 439 administrative districts) are possible on lead times of several days. Skill is increased through the application of a proper ensemble calibration method, extending the range of lead times for which skilful damage predictions can be made

Constraining the Temperature of Impact Melt from the Mistastin Lake Impact Structure Using Zircon Crystal Structures

Impact melt is a product of hyper-velocity impact events formed by the instantaneous melting of near-surface target rocks. Constraining the temperature of impact melt is vital to understanding its prograde heating and cooling history, which can have implications for inferring the environment of early Earth ~4.0 billion years ago when microbial life potentially arose. To date, only one datum on the initial impact melt temperature has been derived by Timms et al. These authors studied zirconia microstructures and crystallographic orientations that revealed the former presence of cubic zirconia, found in a black impact glass at the Mistastin Lake impact structure, Canada. The presence of cubic zirconia indicates a minimum temperature for the impact melt of >2370C from the dissociation temperature of zircon to cubic zirconia and liquid SiO2. With only one temperature datum, it is still difficult to constrain the entire temperature range experienced during the impact melting process; from its instantaneous formation to thermal equilibrium with the cold clasts collected along the crater floor and walls. In addition, obtaining a temperature value from only one type of impactite limits the inferred temperature range, because each impactite experiences a different cooling history. In this study, we present a preliminary investigation of 61 zircon crystals, 14 of which are similar to those studied by Timms et al., from the Mistastin Lake impact structure. To acquire a more accurate temperature profile representative of impact melt, zircon crystals were collected from different types of impactites containing impact melt, including additional samples of the black impact glass studied by Timms et al

The Stac Fada “impact ejecta” layer: not what it seems

The Stac Fada Member (SFM) forms part of the Stoer Group of the Torridonian of NW Scotland. The SFM is unique in the Torridonian, being characterized by the presence of greenish altered glass clasts. Its origin has been debated for decades with several hypotheses being proposed but all invoking some connection with volcanic activity in the region. More recently, Amor et al. suggested that the SFM represents “a chord section through the continuous ejecta blanket surrounding an impact crater”. Here, we confirm the presence of shocked material within the SFM and then discuss its origin

Gully Formation at the Haughton Impact Structure (Arctic Canada) Through the Melting of Snow and Ground Ice, with Implications for Gully Formation on Mars

The formation of gullies on Mars has been the topic of active debate and scientific study since their first discovery by Malin and Edgett in 2000. Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for gully formation on Mars, from dry mass movement processes, release of water or brine from subsurface aquifers, and the melting of near-surface ground ice or snowpacks. In their global documentation of martian gullies, report that gullies are confined to ~2783S and ~2872N latitudes and span all longitudes. Gullies on Mars have been documented on impact crater walls and central uplifts, isolated massifs, and on canyon walls, with crater walls being the most common situation. In order to better understand gully formation on Mars, we have been conducting field studies in the Canadian High Arctic over the past several summers, most recently in summer 2018 and 2019 under the auspices of the Canadian Space Agency-funded Icy Mars Analogue Program. It is notable that the majority of previous studies in the Arctic and Antarctica, including our recent work on Devon Island, have focused on gullies formed on slopes generated by regular endogenic geological processes and in regular bedrock. How-ever, as noted above, meteorite impact craters are the most dominant setting for gullies on Mars. Impact craters provide an environment with diverse lithologies including impact-generated and impact-modified rocks and slope angle, and thus greatly variable hill slope processes could occur within a localized area. Here, we investigate the formation of gullies within the Haughton impact structure and compare them to gullies formed in unimpacted target rock in the nearby Thomas Lee Inle