Impacts do not initiate volcanic eruptions; eruptions close to the crater

Many papers on meteorite impact suggest that large impacts can induce volcanic eruptions through decompression melting of the underlying rocks. We perform numerical simulations of the impact of an asteroid with a diameter of 20 km striking at 15 km·s-1 into a target with a near-surface temperature g...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geology (Boulder) 2003-10, Vol.31 (10), p.869-872
Main Authors: Ivanov, B. A, Melosh, H. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
asteroids
causes
craters
decompression
eruptions
Geology
igneous and metamorphic rocks
impacts
large igneous provinces
layered materials
melting
Meteors & meteorites
numerical models
Petrology
Sediments
statistical analysis
theoretical models
volcanism
Volcanoes
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Summary:Many papers on meteorite impact suggest that large impacts can induce volcanic eruptions through decompression melting of the underlying rocks. We perform numerical simulations of the impact of an asteroid with a diameter of 20 km striking at 15 km·s-1 into a target with a near-surface temperature gradient of 13 K·km-1 ("cold" case) or 30 K·km-1 ("hot" case). The impact creates a 250-300-km-diameter crater with ∼10,000 km3 of impact melt. However, the crater collapses almost flat, and the pressure field returns almost to the initial lithostat. Even an impact this large cannot raise mantle material above the peridotite solidus by decompression. Statistical considerations also suggest that impacts cannot be the common initiator of large igneous provinces any time in post-heavy bombardment Earth history.
ISSN:0091-7613
1943-2682
DOI:10.1130/G19669.1