IMIS

Publications | Institutes | Persons | Datasets | Projects | Maps
[ report an error in this record ]basket (1): add | show Print this page

one publication added to basket [323205]
A seismically induced onshore surge deposit at the KPg boundary, North Dakota
DePalma, R.A.; Smit, J.; Burnham, D.A.; Kuiper, K.; Manning, P.L.; Oleinik, A.; Larson, P.; Maurrasse, F.J.; Vellekoop, J.; Richards, M.A.; Gurche, L.; Alvarez, W. (2019). A seismically induced onshore surge deposit at the KPg boundary, North Dakota. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 116(17): 8190-8199. https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1817407116
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The Academy: Washington, D.C.. ISSN 0027-8424; e-ISSN 1091-6490, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keyword
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    KPg extinction; Chicxulub; Hell Creek Formation; tsunami; impact

Authors  Top 
  • DePalma, R.A.
  • Smit, J.
  • Burnham, D.A.
  • Kuiper, K.
  • Manning, P.L.
  • Oleinik, A.
  • Larson, P.
  • Maurrasse, F.J.
  • Vellekoop, J., more
  • Richards, M.A.
  • Gurche, L.
  • Alvarez, W.

Abstract
    The most immediate effects of the terminal-Cretaceous Chicxulub impact, essential to understanding the global-scale environmental and biotic collapses that mark the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, are poorly resolved despite extensive previous work. Here, we help to resolve this by describing a rapidly emplaced, highenergy onshore surge deposit from the terrestrial Hell Creek Formation in Montana. Associated ejecta and a cap of iridium-rich impactite reveal that its emplacement coincided with the Chicxulub event. Acipenseriform fish, densely packed in the deposit, contain ejecta spherules in their gills and were buried by an inland-directed surge that inundated a deeply incised river channel before accretion of the fine-grained impactite. Although this deposit displays all of the physical characteristics of a tsunami runup, the timing (<1 hour postimpact) is instead consistent with the arrival of strong seismic waves from the magnitude M-w similar to 10 to 11 earthquake generated by the Chicxulub impact, identifying a seismically coupled seiche inundation as the likely cause. Our findings present high-resolution chronology of the immediate aftereffects of the Chicxulub impact event in the Western Interior, and report an impact-triggered onshore mix of marine and terrestrial sedimentation-potentially a significant advancement for eventually resolving both the complex dynamics of debris ejection and the full nature and extent of biotic disruptions that took place in the first moments postimpact.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors