Chicxulub Crater: A possible Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary impact crater on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Alan R. Hildebrand* SPECIAL REPORT Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 Glen T. Penfield Aerogravity Division, Carson Services Inc., 324 Blooming Glen Road, Perkasio, Pennsylvania 18944 David A. Kring Department of Panetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 Mark Pilkington Geophysics Division, Geological Survey of Canada, 1 Observatory Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OY3, Canada Antonio Camargo Z. Gerencia Exploracién, Potrsleos Méxicanos, Avenida Marina Nacional 329, México DF. 11311, México Stein B. Jacobsen Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 20 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 William V. Boynton Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 ABSTRACT ‘We suggest that a buried 180-km-diameter circular structure on the Yucatin Peninsula, Mexico, is an impact erate. Its size and shape are revealed by magnetic and gravity-eld anomalies, as well as by ol wells drilled inside and near the structure. The stratigraphy ofthe crater includes a sequence of andestic igneous rocks and glass interbedded wit, and overtain by, breccias that contain evidence of shock metamorphism. The andesitic rocks have chemical ‘and isotopic compostions similar to those of tektites found in Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) jects. A 90-m-thick K/T boundary breccia, also containing evidence of shock metamorphism, 's present 50 km outside the crater’ edge. This breccia probably represents the craters ejecta blanket. The age of the crater is not precisely known, but a K/TT boundary age i indicated. Because the crater is in a tick carbonate sequence, shock-produced CO> from the impact may hhave caused a severe greenhouse warming. INTRODUCTION The debate concerning the postulated impact subsequent tectonic quiescence. Bouguer gravity data show an —180-km-diametr, circular, 30 at the Cretaceous/Tertary (K/T) boundary (Alvarer etal, 1980) may be resolved by the discovery ofthe impact site and/or the thick proximal deposits of the impact (Hildebrand and Boyston, 1990a, 19906). An ~S0-cm-hick K/T boundary ejecta layer in Hatt and prox imal impact-wave deposits inthe Caribbean 1e- tion suggest that the K/T boundary impact coceurted between North and South America. Circular anomalies, ~200 km in diameter, in both magnetic and gravity fields (with asso- ‘ated ancesitc rocks) on the northwestem mar- in ofthe Yucatin peninsula of México (Fig. 1) have been interpreted as representing a volcanic cznter (Lopez Ramos, 1975) or an impact crater ‘with associated extrsive material (Penfield and ‘Camargo, 1981), We describe geophysical, strat- ‘graphic, and petrologic evidence indicating that this structure larg impact crater of possible K/T boundary age. GRAVITY AND MAGNETIC DATA ‘The cirula structure is buried inthe mide ofthe Yucatin carbonate platform in region of “Present addres: Geological Survey of Cana Geophysics Divison, Observatory Crescent, Ona, (Onure KIA V3, Camda GEOLOGY, «19, p. 867-871, September 1991 smgal, negative anomaly (Fig. 2) similar in shape to those found over large impact erates (Fig. 3). ‘A center 10 km east of Progreso, near the town ‘of Chicrulub Puerto, best fits a 20 mgal central high 20 km radius) and two internal concentic lows (35 and 60 km radi; the margin of the time modiited from Pin- dll and Barret (1990), Bold tines—feult. zones fre volcanism. Dashed line--palgoshoreine on Worth, American cont nent. Diagonal-rule pat. {emn—areas of possible Impact-wave deposits. Dots—Deep See Dring Project sites: Impact- ‘wave deposits are found at sles 151, 153, and anomaly might be best fit by a center slighty farther northeast. The gravty-feld anomaly i truncated 10 the north by an east-northeast- tending incament that crosses the Yucatin plat- form north ofthe present cousin. A negative ‘anomaly trails ~100 km to the south fom the circular anomaly. Its internal circular structure is disrupted near both the truncating lineament and the southward-xtending trough. ‘Total magnetic‘ild data (Penfield and Co- ‘margo, 1981; Lopez Ramos, 1975) show ~210- kkm-diamete, circular, dipolar anomalies with large horizontal gradients and some concentric structure nearly coincident with the gravity anomaly. Largeamplitde, short-wavelength anomalies (upto ~1000 nT) occur over the cen- tral gravity high, but extend farther, toa radius ‘of ~35 km. An outer one of weaker (50 20 iT) short-wavelength anomalies extends toa radius ‘of 105 km, but has an irtegular margin. The 6008. Stars—posiions of ~50-cm-thick K/T ejecta layers found at sites in Haiti and Mexico. Circle—Chiceulub crater on Yucatan platform. ryFigure 2. Contour plot (contour inlrval= 2 mgal) of Bouguer gravity data (Gravity Anomaly Map ‘covering northwest corner of Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Outermost heavily smagnetc‘ield anomalies extend to the north without significant disruption across the linea- ment that truncate the gravity anomaly. The ‘ental anomalous 200e i slightly elongated in northwest-souteast direction, Modeling of the ‘magnetcceld anomalies places the top of the ‘magnetic source bodies ata depth of -1100 m (Penfield and Camargo, 1981). STRATIGRAPHY ‘The subsurface stratigraphy of the norte ‘Yucatin peninsula is known primarily from pe- troleum exploration 10. Drifholes are spaced according to thelr distance tom estimated ‘center of structure, Arrows show locations of samples from wall together with sample ‘numbers. Ages have not been given to units at base of dillad section; these units have pre Viously been regarded as Upper Cretaceous. eee 208 0 . 5 sar 0.e8/n90.08 ee Hesiave (Chis work); 900, MANGE 11H lass fon astian eject {o9i); m7: ‘stighety-aicered, andesicie, meit-rock sanple from che ¥-6 weil textured phylesicats. Quart rns ia two of these xenoliths exhibit muliple sets of planar ‘ements that are indicative of shock meamer- phism. Quartz crysals (up to 1.25 mm long) ‘wth up wo eight et of planar clement are alo presat in gain residues of thee breccia opis (Fig 5B), DebyeScherer XRD suis of singe rains confirm the visual idetication of shock 3-km-hick carbonate larget rocks, as suggested by O'Keefe and ‘Abirens (1989) Crater scaling relations (Melosh, 1989) and the size ofthe Chicxulub eater sug: gest that an order of magnitude increase in CO above the cutent atmospheric inventory would Ihave occurred. A temperature increase of ~10 °C for 104 to 105 years could have resulted (O'Keefe and Ahrens, 1989), causing an ex- tended period of extinctions. The period of ‘warmer climate coud aso allow for increased continental erosion to produce the K/T bound= ary S1/**Sr spike (Hess etal, 1986). CONCLUSIONS ‘The Chicxulub crater isthe largest probable impact crater on Earth. Is position and target- tock composition satisfy many ofthe character- istics required forthe K/T crater, and it may have a K/T boundary age. This have caused the K/T extinctions REFERENCES CITED Alar, LW, Alvare, W., Acro, Fad Michel, LY, 1960, Extateretval xe for he Crea ou/Terlary eniction Scene, 208, 1095-1108, Bumer, RT, Shaper, W. and others 1984, ntl ‘ports fhe Dep Sa Ding Projet, Volume ‘Th Washington, DC, US. Government Prat ing Ofice, 747 Ewing J, Amoine, and Ewing, M1960, Geo- ‘Physal measrerens inthe western Caribbean Sei and inthe Gul of Mexico Journal of Go. physcal Resear 65, p. 4087-8126, GEOLOGY, September 1991 Gravity Anomaly Map Commitee, comple, 1988, Gravity anomaly map. of ‘North Ameria Boulder, Coiorado, Geological Sciery of Ame ‘4, Coane Seale Map no. 2 8 sees, Grieve, RAF. 1975, Peology and chemitry of the ‘mipact mal at Mian Lake rater, Labrador: Genogcal Society of America Ballin, . 86, pp l6t7-162, ess, Bender ML, and Shilng J-G, 1986, Evo- iaton ofthe rio of sromum 87 rot: 16 in seater fom ‘Cretaceous to. prea: Science. 231, p. 979-988. ‘iebrand, AR ad Boyan, W.V, 188, Proven- ‘anor ofthe K/T boundary layer, Gaba {asiopes in Earth story: An iterdscpinary confefene on impact, volanism, and mas ‘morality (aba). Lar and Panetary Tite Contribution 673, p. 78-79. _—1990e, Locating he Cretaceous Tertiary bound- ‘ary inact erate): Fos (Trasacton,Amer- ‘an Geophys Union), v.71 p 1424-1425, 19008, Proximal CreasoouTenary boundary impact deposts ia the Caribbean. Sens, 288. 883-847, Hee and Quaid, WL, 1973, Debye Scherer inwsigations of experimentally shocks ses ‘The Moon, . 6p 85-82. tae, GA, 190, The Creaczows/ Tertiary boundary interval, Raton Bsn, Colorado and New Mex- fea, and its content of shockmetamorphosd ‘miners evidence relevant fo the KT Dour impac-extction theory: Geological Society of ‘Ameria Special Paper 249,100. beet, GAL Maurase, PIMR," Lice, EE, ‘Meeks, GP abd Bates, R190, Tete i CCreuecous-Terary bounda'y rocks om ali: US. Geological Survey Oper-file Report OF- 50-635, 3p. ober, C1986, Chemisty of kts and impact (fisses Annual Review of Fah and Plangary Senos 14 9323-350, Kring, DAA, Hildebrand, AR. and Boynton, W.V, 1981, The peoloy of ao andesite met-ock and polymit breccia fom the interior ofthe CChicrlub sroctre, Yocatin, Meio, in XI [Lunar and’ Planetary Scene Conference ab- sires: Housoa, Texas, Lonar and Planetary Scene Instat. 755-756, Lopez Ramos, E, 1875, Geological summary ofthe ‘Yocatin Pens, Nain, AEM, and Sth, FFG, eds, The ocean bass and mugins, Vo ‘ume 3—The Gulf of Mexico apd the Caribbean [New York, Peau, p. 257-282 1985, Coils de México (hid edon}: Mex ‘ao Ciy, Univesidad Nacional Autinoma de ‘México, p. 269-301 Marshal, RH, 1974, Peulogy of the subsurface Mesoraic rock of he Voc patfocs, Mexico [MS thes} New Oren, Lousiana, University ‘of New Oran, 97, ‘Mekine, W., 1982, pact ino the Eats ocean flor: Preliminary experiments, a planetary mo ch and poss for dteon, in Siver, LT, land Soul, PAL, eds, Geological implications of mpacs of age astrids ad comets onthe anh Geological Society of America Special Pape 190, p.129-182. Melos HJ, 1989, Impact cratering: A gelopc ‘press Onferd Clarendon Pres, 285 p Monty, GE, and Weide, AE, J, 1967, Regional Reviewer’ comment geologic summary of Yucatin Peninsula, Weide, AE, ed, Field tip to penitsuls of Yacatin, guide Book (Scood etions. New Crean, Lousiana, New Orleans Geological Sooty, p. 5-51 (Keefe, 1D. and Abreas, T1989, Impact pro- ‘duction of CO, by the Creiaceous/Teray ex. tinton bold’ and the resultant beating of the aye Natur. 338, p 247-289. Pll, G.T, and Camargo Z, A 1981, Definition of majr igneous tone i the central Yocatin storm with aeromapnetcs and gravity, dn Teco program, asics and topaphice (Gociety of Exploration Geoptysciss 51s an- ‘ual intratonal meting) Las Angeles, Society ‘of Eaploraton Geophys p37 Pingel JL, and Barrett SF, 199, Geological evo Talon ofthe Caribbean reson A pltetonic pepectve, i Case, LE» and Dengo, 0, ei, {Caribean region: Boulder, Colorado, Gelopsi Society of America, The Gesogy of North ‘Americ, 9 Hp 408-432. Pope, KO, Ocampo, AC, and Duller, CE, 199, ‘Mexican ste for K/T crate Nae, ¥. 3 los. Premo, W.R, and Ina, .A., 1991, NOS isotopic ‘ature of tektites fom the KT boundary on ai, XXII Lana and Planetary Science Con- ference abstracts Howton, Teas, Lona and PPanetay Since Insitute, p 1081-1092. Prcrlkowsll, Andry 1986, Megncaas del Maes trchano en Cuba ooientaly ental Polish ‘eademy of Scenes, Earth Sciences, Ballin, 34 p81 94, Sato, 1975, Difion corona around quar xen ‘cys in andesite and basalt fom Tertiary vel ‘anc region in reader Shikoku, Japan Contibatons to Mineralogy and Pesoony. 50, 49-64, Shaw, HLF, and Waserburg, ©, 1982, Age and Proveranoe ofthe rget materi for eke ar Psi impactes a infeed from Sa-NG and oS systematics: Fah and Planeiry Science ates 155-177 Sigurdson,H, Donat, S, Arthur, MA, Brlower, "TJ, Zachos, 4C, van Fosen, Mand Chanel, 1B, 1991, Gls rom the Cretaceous Tetary boundary in Hai Nature, v 389, p. 482-487 Sait, 3, 1990, Meorie impact, extinction and the Creaonne- Terry boundary Geologie en i= ou, 69, 187-208 Sweeney, TE, 1978, Gravity study of reat in- act. Journal of Geophysical Resch, v.83, 2809-2815, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ‘Supported in prt by NASA Gras NAGS-37. We thank G. Keller and W, Slr for paloetolgial sud ics A. Weide providd acess to amples and uapal- Teed staph information. Peudleos Méxianos allowed dicasion of proprietary sesmic reflection ‘ata Xray orescence data ae court of A. Helo- ‘ich, R. Rouseay, andthe Geologie Survey of Can. {dt Magnetic sscepiblty deta ae ouresy of G.Calderone andthe US. Geological Suey. Manusript recived February 26, 1991 Revised manuscript recived May 2, 1991 Manse cepted May 30,1981 Proposes the long sought K/T crater—the “smoking gun.” mn