The Chicxulub Impact Structure, Yucatn Peninsula, Mxico.

Studies in the Eastern Merida -Valladolid Sector

Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi
Director, Instituto de Geofsica, UNAM. Email: juf@tonatiuh.igeofcu.unam.mx

Jos Mara Chvez Aguirre

Supervisor de Geologa, Depto. de Geologa, GEIC-CFE . Email: jose.chavez@cfe.gob.mx

Jos Luis de la Rosa

Residente, Residencia de Geohidrologa, CFE, Mrida, Yucatn. Email: respenin@mda.com.mx

Abstract The Chicxulub crater is located in the northwestern sector of the Yucatan peninsula, buried by a thick sequence of Tertiary carbonate rocks. The crater was first identified from geophysical studies carried out during oil exploration surveys in the peninsula. For several years and particularly since 1980 the Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE) has conducted geohidrological and geotechnical investigations in Yucatan. Studies have concentrated on the groundwater aquifers and karstic landforms. The semicircular distribution of sinkholes has been related to the crater structural features (the cenote ring correlates well with circular gravity anomaly pattern). Chemical analyses of water samples from the saline intrusion/groundwater interface show high concentrations of elements like arsenic, cobalt, nickel, and strontium. Studies are being conducted to document their sources. As part of the CFE program, several boreholes were drilled in the eastern sector between Merida and Valladolid. Distribution of sinkholes presents a more complex pattern in this area (as compared with the well-defined ring to the south and west) and there is little information on the shallow stratigraphy and occurrence of impact breccias. Here we report results from petrographic studies on samples from eleven boreholes. Boreholes reach depths down to >300 m, and cut a thick carbonate sequence that has been divided into the Carrillo Puerto and Chichen Itza Tertiary Formations. Beneath about 250 m depths, the carbonate rocks show effects of tectonic deformation and fragmentation. An interval of about 34 m of carbonate breccias has been recovered, which may correlate with the carbonate breccia sequence observed in the Santa Elena and Tekax UNAM boreholes. Apparently undisturbed limestone strata are observed beneath the breccia interval.

Introduction The Chicxulub structure is currently interpreted in terms of a large bolide impact, occurring some 65 Ma ago (Hildebrand et al., 1991; Sharpton et al., 1992). The impact produced a large >200 km diameter crater, as well as significant structural deformation on the target area and adjacent extensive carbonate platform. The Chicxulub impact has been linked to the worldwide distributed Ir-rich clay layer that has been the stratigraphic marker of the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary. The K/T layer formed as a of result of the deposition fine-grained

particle material sent out high into the atmosphere by the impact, which blocked incoming solar radiation causing severe global climatic 1980). The Chicxulub crater is located in the northwestern sector of the Yucatan peninsula, buried by a thick sequence of Tertiary carbonate rocks (Figure 1).
Figure 1.Chicxulub

environmental effects on the

and life

support systems (Alvarez et al.,

crater and cenotes location in the Yucatan peninsula.

The crater was first identified from geophysical studies carried out during oil exploration surveys in the peninsula (Penfield and Camargo, 1981). Samples from the impact breccias and melt were recovered from the exploratory PEMEX drilling program (e.g., Lopez Ramos, 1983). Samples from this program are available in limited amounts, however. More recently, UNAM conducted a drilling program in the southern sector of the crater, and in three boreholes the thick breccia sequence was sampled.

Analyses indicate that the breccia is formed by two distinct sequences: an upper breccia rich in basement and melt fragments and a lower breccia rich in carbonate fragments. The upper breccia presents high magnetic susceptibility, low seismic velocities, low density and low porosity and permeability (e.g., Urrutia-Fucugauchi et al., 1996; Rebolledo-Vieyra et al., 2000). The upper breccia appears similar to the suevitic breccias documented in the Ries crater. For several years and particularly since 1980 the Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE) has conducted geohydrologic and geotechnical investigations in Yucatan. Studies have focussed on the groundwater aquifers and karstic landforms, and also include an exploration shallow drilling program (Figure 2). In this paper we report on the initial results of the CFE studies in the eastern sector of the crater in the area between Merida and Valladolid.

Figure 2.- Chicxulub impact and UNAM and CFE boreholes location.

Eastern Sector of Chicxulub Crater The semicircular distribution of sinkholes has been related to the crater structural features (the cenote ring correlates well with circular gravity anomaly pattern). Chemical analyses of water samples from the saline intrusion/groundwater interface show high concentrations of elements like arsenic, cobalt, nickel, and strontium. Studies are being conducted to document their sources. As part of the CFE program, several boreholes were drilled in the eastern sector between Merida and Valladolid. Here we report results from petrographic studies on samples from eleven boreholes. Boreholes reach depths down to >300 m, and cut a thick carbonate sequence that has been divided into the Carrillo Puerto and Chichen Itza Tertiary Formations (Figure 3).

Recrystalized limestone

Dolomitic limestone

Green mudstone

Fossiliferous limestone

Figure 3. Carbonate sequence after CFE boreholes.

Beneath 250 m depths, the carbonate rocks show effects of tectonic deformation and fragmentation. An interval of about 34 m of carbonate breccias has been recovered, which may correlate with the carbonate breccia sequence observed in the Santa Elena and Tekax UNAM boreholes (Figure 4). Apparently undisturbed limestone strata are observed beneath the breccia interval.

Figure 4.- CFE exploratory boreholes between Valladolid and Mrida.

Discussion The Chicxulub crater is located in the northwestern sector of the Yucatan peninsula, buried by a thick sequence of Tertiary carbonate rocks. The Chicxulub impact has been linked to the worldwide distributed Ir-rich clay layer that has been the stratigraphic marker of the K/T boundary. The K/T layer formed as a result of the deposition of fine-grained particle material sent out high into the atmosphere by

the impact, which blocked incoming solar radiation causing severe global environmental and climatic effects on the life support systems. The crater was first identified from geophysical studies carried out during oil exploration surveys in the peninsula. Samples from the impact breccias and melt were recovered from the exploratory PEMEX drilling program. Samples from this program are available in limited amounts, however. More recently, UNAM conducted a drilling program in the southern sector of the crater, and in three boreholes the thick breccia sequence was sampled. Analyses indicate that the breccia is formed by two distinct sequences: an upper breccia rich in basement and melt fragments and a lower breccia rich in carbonate fragments. The upper breccia presents high magnetic susceptibility, low seismic velocities, low density and low porosity and permeability. The upper breccia appears similar to the suevitic breccias documented in the Ries crater. Federal Commission of Electricity has conducted geohidrological and geotechnical investigations karstic in Yucatan. The Studies have focussed on the groundwater aquifers and landforms. semicircular distribution of sinkholes has been related to the crater structural features (the cenote ring correlates well with circular gravity anomaly pattern). Chemical analyses of water samples from the saline intrusion/groundwater interface show high concentrations of elements like arsenic, cobalt, nickel, and strontium. Studies are being conducted to document their sources. As part of the CFE program, several boreholes were drilled in the eastern sector between Merida and Valladolid. We report results from petrographic studies on samples from eleven boreholes (Figure 5).
Figure 5.- Samples of the exploratory borehole BE-4, C.T. Valladolid, Yuc.
256.00m

278.40m

Boreholes reach depths down to >300 m, and cut a thick carbonate sequence that has been divided into the Carrillo Puerto and Chichen Itza Tertiary Formations. Beneath 250-m depths, the carbonate rocks show effects of tectonic deformation and fragmentation (Figure 6). An interval of about 34-m of carbonate breccias has been recovered, which may correlate with the carbonate breccia sequence observed in the Santa Elena and Tekax UNAM boreholes.

Brecciated limestone (274.00m)

Recrystalized brecciated limestone (274.40m)

Intraclastic brecciated limestone (279.70m)

Dolomitic micrite (280.40m)

Figure 6.- Microscopic views of thin sections of samples of the BE-4 CFE exploratory borehole.

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