Overview
- Offers a comprehensive account of the Australian asteroids impacts record
- Constitutes in part as an Atlas of Australian impact structures and ejecta units
- Includes a chapter on Astroid Impacts and crustal evolution
Part of the book series: Modern Approaches in Solid Earth Sciences (MASE, volume 14)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (7 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
Thanks to their long-term geological stability, Precambrian and younger terrains in the Australian continent contain 38 confirmed impact structures and 43 ring and dome structures, many of which constitute possible to probable asteroid impact structures. The impact structures have been the subject of more than half a century of studies and range from several tens of meter-large craters to buried structures larger than 100 km in diameter. Discoveries of impact fallout units in the Pilbara Craton have defined the Pilbara as one of the two best documented terrains where Archaean impact ejecta/fallout deposits are identified, the other terrain being the Kaapvaal Craton in southern Africa. A synthesis of evidence from both cratons indicates periods of large asteroid bombardments during ~3.47 – 2.48 billion years-ago, including peak bombardment about 3.25—3.22 billion years-ago. The latter period coincides with an abrupt transformation of an early Archaean granite-greenstone crust to mid to late Archaean semi-continental crustal regimes, underpinning the significance of heavy asteroid impact events for crustal evolution. Apart from proven impact structures, Australian terrains display a range of circular features, including morphological and drainage rings, circular lakes, volcanic craters, tectonic domes, oval granite bodies, mafic igneous plugs, salt diapirs, and magnetic, gravity and seismic anomalies, many of which are of a likely impact origin. Thermal and hydrothermal processes associated with impact cratering bearimportant consequences for the formation of mineral deposits, such as Ni at Sudbury, Pb-Zn at Siljan and Kentland. Impact structures may also provide sites for the accumulation of hydrocarbons, whereas in some instances fracturing associated with impact structures allows outward migration of oil and gas.
Reviews
“This book is a welcome addition to the understanding of the consequences of asteroid impact globally, and for Australia in particular, over almost the entire history of the Earth. Criteria used to identify asteroid impacts range from macroscopic to microscopic, and are well referenced. The reference lists alone provide valuable compilations of information for researchers and explorers.” (Dr John D. Gorter, Consultant Geologist and expert on impact structures)
“This book provides an easy to read and well depicted, brief description of Australian impact structures and how to identify impact structures in general. The book makes special reference to Australian impacts, but the narrative is in a global context with examples of a number of renowned impacts elsewhere. I would recommend the book as a good reference for university courses in Geology as it provides, if anything else, a list of proved and possible impact structures worldwide. Moreover, the book provides a better understanding of the history of extraterrestrial impacts on Earth with a link to understanding geological processes and crustal evolution.” (Dr R. Iasky, Consultant geophysicist and expert on impact structures)
“Covering everything between solid planetary astronomy, early impact history and life origins, to the detailed listing of well proven asteroid impacts, this book continues to examine the proven and possible relationships of such events with petroleum and ore genesis. A wealth of new data from recent NASA and ESA probes is included in this well illustrated book. Excellent for any researcher and space enthusiast, as well as for modern High School and University science teaching.” (Prof. Victor Gostin, University of Adelaide)
“The book is the product of exhaustive and careful research, … , well written and well organized, and will serve as a jumping-off point for any who are interested in further research. It is the most comprehensive work in this fieldand as such will be recognized as a standard that belongs in every major reference library and, doubtless in many personal collections.” (Prof. Hugh Davies,The University of Papua New Guinea)
This is a timely subject that will be of interest to scientists in wide-ranging fields of geology, astronomy, and biology. … I know of no other scientist[s] that could do this. I did look at several of the major periods of Earth history that I am particularly interested in, and find that your book will be an excellent reference for scientists.” (Prof. Gary Byerly, Louisiana State University)
Authors and Affiliations
About the authors
Franco Pirajno is a recognized expert on mineral systems, with more than 50 years of experience, in industry, academia and government. He has extensive knowledge of tectonics, ore deposit geology in: Europe, southern Africa, South East Asia, New Zealand, southwest Pacific, China, southern Siberia, Greenland and Australia. He is the author of four books and a monograph on mineral deposits and of more than 175 peer-reviewed papers, 20 peer-reviewed geological maps and 68 unpublished company reports.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Asteroids Impacts, Crustal Evolution and Related Mineral Systems with Special Reference to Australia
Authors: Andrew Y. Glikson, Franco Pirajno
Series Title: Modern Approaches in Solid Earth Sciences
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74545-9
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental Science, Earth and Environmental Science (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-74544-2Published: 27 March 2018
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-09017-3Published: 14 December 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-74545-9Published: 12 March 2018
Series ISSN: 1876-1682
Series E-ISSN: 1876-1690
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXII, 215
Number of Illustrations: 21 b/w illustrations, 109 illustrations in colour
Topics: Earth System Sciences, Planetology, Structural Geology, Economic Geology