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Impact and Extinction in Remarkably Complete Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary Sections from Demerara Rise, Tropical Western North Atlantic

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Impact and Extinction in Remarkably Complete Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary Sections from Demerara Rise, Tropical Western North Atlantic Impact and extinction in remarkably complete Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary sections from Demerara Rise, tropical western North Atlantic Kenneth G. MacLeod^ Department of Geological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA Donna L. Whitney* Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA Brian T. Huber§ Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA Christian Koeberl* Department of Geological Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria ABSTRACT Keywords: Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, extreme nature of a Chicxulub-scale impact mass extinction, impact, Demerara Rise, Ir compared to background processes (e.g.. Bour- Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 207, anomaly, ODP Site 1259, ODP Leg 207. geois et al., 1988; Olsson et al, 1996; Smit et on the Demerara Rise in the western tropi- al, 1996; Bralower et al., 1998; Klaus et al., cal North Atlantic, recovered multiple Cre- INTRODUCTION 2000; Arz et al, 2004; Smit et al, 2004; Alegret taceous-Paleogene boundary sections con- et al, 2005; Schulte et al, 2006). These stud- taining an ejecta layer. Sedimentological, Discussion of the cause of the Cretaceous- ies propose that the Chicxulub impact initiated geochemical, and paleontological changes Paleogene (commonly, Cretaceous-Tertiary or multiple, temporally overlapping sedimentolog- across the boundary closely match patterns K-T) boundary event has evolved considerably ical processes, including vaporization-conden- expected for a mass extinction caused by a in the two and a half decades since the aster- sation of impactor and target material; ballistic single impact. A normally graded, ~2-cm- oid impact hypothesis first gained prominence distribution of ejecta; settling of ejecta through thick bed of spherules that is interpreted as (e.g., Alvarez et al., 1980; Smit and Hertogen, a water column; suspension/redeposition, win- a primary air-fall deposit of impact ejecta 1980). That a major impact with widespread nowing, and traction transport of previously occurs between sediments of the highest consequences occurred at or near the time of the deposited material under the influence of tsu- Cretaceous Plummerita hantkeninoides fora- K-T boundary is now generally accepted (e.g., nami and seiches; and gravity flows induced by miniferal zone and the lowest Paleogene PO papers in Koeberl and MacLeod, 2002), but a seismic activity. Together these processes could foraminiferal zone. There are no other spher- few workers dispute whether a single impact have resulted in the deposition of a complex ule layers in the section. In addition to extinc- at Chicxulub alone adequately explains global sequence of potentially quite thick and spatially tion of Cretaceous taxa, foraminiferal abun- paleontological and sedimentological patterns variable basal Paleocene strata that accumulated dance drops from abundant to rare across across the boundary (e.g., Adatte et al., 2002; within a few hours to few years of the impact. the boundary. Ir concentrations reach a Keller et al, 2004; Stuben et al, 2005). Most Alternative hypotheses for the genesis of maximum of -1.5 ppb at the top of the spher- well-studied marine K-T sections are either rel- anomalous deposits in the vicinity of the K-T ule bed, and the Ir anomaly is associated with atively proximal (within 2500 km) to Chicxulub boundary emphasize lithologic variability and enrichment in other siderophile elements. We or relatively distal (more than 7000 km) from include bed-by-bed interpretations of the strati- attribute the unusually well-preserved and Chicxulub, with intermediate distances repre- graphic record at each site (e.g., Keller et al., relatively simple stratigraphy to the fact that sented dominantly by terrestrial sites (e.g., Smit, 1988, 2004; Stinnesbeck et al., 2002). In other Demerara Rise was close enough (-4500 km) 1999; Claeys et al., 2002). Interpretation of the words, individual beds are generally considered to the Chicxulub impact site to receive -2 cm few described intermediate marine K-T sites to be distinct, largely independent, sedimento- of ejecta, yet was far enough away (and is complicated by the presence of redeposited logical events. Explicitly or implicitly, these perhaps sheltered by the curve of northern material (e.g., Olsson et al, 1997; Smit, 1999), interpretations invoke background rates and South America) to have been relatively unaf- and arguments and counterarguments regarding processes in estimating time represented by each fected by impact-induced waves. the interpretation of marine K-T records have bed and conclude that multiple impacts, other not been resolved. ecological stresses, and gradual and/or stepwise Briefly summarized, disagreements for rela- extinction patterns are critical features of the K- tively proximal sites (Gulf of Mexico and nearby T boundary interval. Regardless of one's opin- 'E-mail: [email protected]. *E-mail: [email protected]. regions) center on how many impacts occurred ions of the accuracy of sedimentological and ^E-mail: [email protected]. and on their timing relative to K-T extinctions. paleontological arguments (e.g., compare Arz et *E-mail: [email protected]. Papers favoring a single impact emphasize the al, 2004; Keller et al, 2004; Smit et al., 2004), GSA Bulletin; January/February 2007; v. 119; no. 1/2; p. 101-115; doi: 10.1130/B25955.1; 9 figures; 2 tables. For permission to copy, contact [email protected] 101 © 2006 Geological Society of America MacLeod et al. proximal deposits are undeniably complex and well-expressed sedimentological and geochemi- are laterally variable. cal variations with minimal drilling disturbance Controversy at distal K-T sites has focused or stratigraphic complexities. That is, these sam- on stratigraphic completeness and the ecologi- ples provide access to exactly the type of new cal implications of observed last occurrences of observations that can be used to address many foraminifera and nannoplankton. Evidence for of the ambiguities just outlined. impact and other boundary signatures at distal sites is generally concentrated in a few millime- MATEMALS AND METHODS ters to centimeters of section across which there are major changes in fossil assemblages (e.g., At 65.5 Ma, Demerara Rise was -4500 km SE Smit, 1999). However, these sections commonly of Chicxulub (Fig. 1). During ODP Leg 207, 13 contain Cretaceous taxa with last occurrences holes at 5 sites were drilled on the northern slope above or below the evidence for impact, and key of Demerara Rise where shallowly buried, hori- zonal indicators may not be observed. Under zontally bedded Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene the impact hypothesis, the stratigraphic coinci- sediments overlie Aptian and older, faulted, silt- dence of indicators of impact and paleontologi- stones and claystones deposited during the rift- Figure 1. Position of Demerara Rise (O) and cal change is attributed to virtual coincidence in ing of South America and Africa. The postrift- tlie Chicxulub impact site (X) on a paleo- time of these events preserved in depositional ing sequence starts with a Cenomanian-lower geograpliic reconstruction of tlie end of tlie settings that largely lack the extreme depo- Campanian interval composed of 50-90 m of Cretaceous (map from tlie Ocean Drilling sitional processes and sedimentation rates of finely laminated, organic-rich clayey siltstones Stratigraphic Network, www.odsn.de). proximal sites. The presence of Cretaceous taxa with variable carbonate content ("black shales" above the boundary is explained as the product sensu Schlanger and Jenkyns, 1976). The upper of reworking (e.g., Pospichal, 1996; MacLeod portion of the black-shale interval is condensed et al, 2001; Huber et al, 2002; Bown, 2005), and grades into an overlying interval, up to sev- and last occurrences of taxa below the bound- eral hundred meters thick, of upper Campanian- crushed manually in a plastic wrap, mechanically ary as sampling artifacts (e.g., Signor and Lipps, Eocene pelagic and hemipelagic chalks, clayey in an alumina jaw crusher, and then powdered 1982; Ginsburg, 1997). The absence of zonal chalks, and claystones deposited at bathyal using automatic agate mills. About 100 mg of the markers is attributed to the sites being outside paleodepths. In 6 of the 13 holes drilled, the K- material was sealed in quartz vials of 4 mm outer the biogeographic or facies preferences of the T boundary was recovered and is marked by a diameter. The samples and standards were packed index taxa, failure to resolve geologically short spherule-bearing horizon. Drilling disturbance and irradiated for 48 h at the TRIGA MARK intervals of time due to low sedimentation rates compromised two of these records, but a well- II reactor of the Institute of Isotopes, Budapest, resulting in deposits that are thin relative to the preserved spherule bed and adjacent strata were Hungary, at a flux of -7.1013 n cm"- s"'. After a scale of bioturbation, or drilling disturbance recovered in Holes 1258A, 1259B, 1259C, and cooling period of three months, the samples were (e.g., Norris et al, 1999; MacLeod et al., 2001; 1260A (Erbacher et al., 2004). gamma-counted for about one day each. Huber et al., 2002). This study focuses on material from Holes Geological reference materials were used as Papers favoring multiple stresses and/or a 1259B and 1259C. The spherule layer is in inter- standards. An aliquot of powdered AUende stan- gradual K-T transition have argued that the val 13R-1, 47^9 cm in Hole 1259B (Fig. 2) dard meteorite from the Smithsonian Institution relative sharpness of the boundary at distal and 8R-5, 98-100 cm in Hole 1259C. A suite of (a carbonaceous chondrite, type CV3) contain- sites is an artifact of incomplete records as 34, 5-10 cm' bulk samples was collected from ing 740 ppb Ir was mixed intimately with high- indicated, for example, by the absence of the core 8R in Hole 1259C. Seven samples are from purity quartz powder (Merck) and homogenized earliest Danian PO zone and latest Maastricht- the -3.5 m of core below the spherule bed and in a boron carbide mortar.
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