Paleomagnetic study of impactites from the Karla impact structure suggests protracted postimpact hydrothermalism

We present a paleomagnetic study of the similar to 10 km diameter Karla impact structure in Russia. We sampled the target carbonate rocks, and a yet undocumented fragmental melt-bearing lithic breccia layer. This impact breccia, which contains carbonate melt, is enriched in stoichiometric magnetite by a factor of similar to 15 compared to the target lithologies, and carries a stable natural remanent magnetization. The weak remanent magnetization and the presence of both normal and reverse polarities down to the centimeter scale indicate that the breccia does not carry a thermoremanent magnetization (TRM), but rather a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM). The presence of stoichiometric magnetite and the absence of TRM suggest that the magnetite was formed during relatively low-temperature postimpact hydrothermalism that affected the porous impact breccia layer. During this process, the breccia acquired a CRM. The paleomagnetic direction is compatible with a Cenozoic age for the impact event, but cannot bring more precise constraint on the age because of the stable position of the Eurasian plate over the last 60 Myr. However, the presence of both polarities indicates that mild hydrothermalism took place over a period of time long enough to span at least one reversal of the geomagnetic field, that is, over a time scale of the order of 100 kyr. This confirms that protracted hydrothermal systems associated with impact craters are long lived, even in relatively small craters such as Karla, and are key features of the geologic and environmental effects of impacts on Earth.

Automated summary

This study presents a paleomagnetic analysis of the Karla impact structure in Russia, revealing the presence of a chemical remanent magnetization in a melt-bearing lithic breccia layer. The research also suggests that the hydrothermal activity associated with the impact crater lasted for approximately 100,000 years, indicating the long-term existence of such systems.