Geophysics

   

The 8 X 7 km Elliptical Warwick Impact Crater (East-Australia)_raman Spectra of Selected Rock Samples

Authors: Harry K. Hahn

The Ø 8 x 7 km elliptical Warwick Crater is located in East-Australia 150 km south-west of Brisbane, near the town Warwick. The crater is visible on the Magnetic Intensity Map as a precise elliptical structure. This elliptical ring structure indicates an oblique impact crater. This means the impactor arrived in a very shallow angle of probably < 10°. The orientation of the elliptical ring structure corresponds to the orientation of the assumed ejecta blanket. The age of the oblique impact in all probability is 252 Ma. ( PT-boundary age ). The red- and pink colored rock types on the geological map, which present ejecta of the crater, formed 230-250 Ma ago ! The impact direction of the elliptical Warwick Crater points towards the Cape York Crater (-chain ). Therefore the Ø 8 x 7 km Warwick Crater probably was caused by a large ejecta fragment of the Cape York Impact Event. I have analysed some rock samples which I have collected inside the Ø 8 x 7 km elliptical Warwick Crater. The Raman spectrum of quartz from sample site 43 provides first evidence for an impact shock event as the probable cause of the elliptical ring structure of the Warwick Crater. The shifts of the main Raman peaks, of the analysed quartz, to the lower frequencies 463 and 204 cm-1, provide indication for an impact shock event that caused a shock pressure of around 22 GPa. Further indication comes from the Raman spectra of quartz grains from sample site 53 which show shifts of the main Raman peaks to the lower frequencies 263 and 205 ( 204 ) cm-1 , and from Raman spectra of sample site 51 and 54, which show shifts of the main Raman peaks of the analysed quartz grains to the lower frequencies 263 and 205 cm-1 , to 260 and 126 cm-1 and to 262 (265) and 204 (207) cm-1, indicating a shock pressure of 20-22 GPa. Microscopic images of some of the analysed quartz grains may provide further proof for a shock event ( see pages : 7, 11, 12 and 22 ). All spectra were made with a BRUKER Senterra-II Raman Microscope (wavenumber precision <0.1cm-1). Images of the analysed rock samples and photos of the sample sites are in the Appendix at page 23. More images of all sample sites are available on www.permiantriassic.de or www.permiantriassic.at

Comments: 29 pages, 56 images, 33 diagrams

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[v1] 2021-09-09 18:58:29

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