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Ruthenium isotopes show the Chicxulub impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Date Issued
2024-08-16
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Fischer-Gödde, Mario
Tusch, Jonas
Goderis, Steven
Bragagni, Alessandro
Mohr-Westheide, Tanja
Messling, Nils
Schmitz, Birger
Reimold, Wolf U.
Maier, Wolfgang D.
Claeys, Philippe
Koeberl, Christian
Tissot, François L.H.
Bizzarro, Martin
Münker, Carsten
Journal
Volume
385
Issue
6710
Start Page
752
End Page
756
Citation
Science / AAAS 385 (6710): 752-756 (2024)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
An impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, occurred 66 million years ago, producing a global stratigraphic layer that marks the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene eras. That layer contains elevated concentrations of platinum-group elements, including ruthenium. We measured ruthenium isotopes in samples taken from three Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary sites, five other impacts that occurred between 36 million to 470 million years ago, and ancient 3.5-billion- to 3.2-billion-year-old impact spherule layers. Our data indicate that the Chicxulub impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid, which had formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter. The five other impact structures have isotopic signatures that are more consistent with siliceous-type asteroids, which formed closer to the Sun. The ancient spherule layer samples are consistent with impacts of carbonaceous-type asteroids during Earth's final stages of accretion.
DDC Class
540: Chemistry
543: Analytic
550: Earth Sciences, Geology