60-Million-Year-Old Meteorite Strike Discovered In Scotland

ndtv ^ | 12/15/2017

[BenLurkin]

Geologists exploring volcanic rocks on Scotland's Isle of Skye have found ejecta from a previously unknown, 60 million-year-old meteorite impact.

The discovery, the first meteorite impact described within the British Paleogene Igneous Province (BPIP), raises questions about the impact and its possible connection to Paleogene volcanic activity across the North Atlantic.

Simon Drake, an associate lecturer in geology at Birkbeck University of London, zeroed in on a meter-thick layer at the base of a 60.0 million-year-old lava flow.

"We thought it was an ignimbrite (a volcanic flow deposit)," said Drake.

However, when researchers analysed the rock using an electron microprobe, they discovered that it contained rare minerals straight from outer space: vanadium-rich and niobium-rich osbornite.

These mineral forms have never been reported on Earth.They have, however, been collected by NASA's Stardust Comet Sample Return Mission as space dust in the wake of the Wild 2 comet, researchers said.

What is more, the osbornite is unmelted, suggesting that it was an original piece of the meteorite.

The team also identified reidite, an extremely high pressure form of zircon which is only ever associated in nature with impacts, along with native iron and other exotic mineralogy linked to impacts such as barringerite.

[Liberty Valance]

"vanadium-rich and niobium-rich osbornite"

[Monkey Face]

Knowing as much as I do about the Creation of the Earth, this is not surprising.

However, watching all the postulations about such an event is very good with popcorn! ;o]

Thanks for the ping, SC! <3

[Hot Tabasco]

Potassium-argon dating and other methods no doubt.

Yea, no doubt.....

I've often wondered how they calibrated those gauges that can determine the difference between 5 million and 5 hundred million years....and zero it down to 60 million.

[SunkenCiv]

;^)