Formation and evolution of terrestrial hypervelocity impact structures

超高速撞击事件发生在小行星或彗星撞击地球表面时，产生的冲击波会挖掘出一个陨石坑并产生新的岩石，称为撞击岩。这些暴力事件在我们的地圈和生物圈的演变中发挥了至关重要的作用，并与经济矿物和碳氢化合物矿床有关。目前全世界有190个经确认的撞击坑，只占地质记录中预计总数的一小部分。我的研究计划将解决影响社区确定的主要研究重点。这些优先事项包括了解沉积岩在撞击环境中的行为，改进在各种岩石类型中形成的撞击坑的识别和确认标准，以及限制撞击事件的时间。为了实现已确定的研究优先事项，将进行一系列短期目标，包括对撞击岩进行详细的岩相学和地球化学分析，并辅之以计算机模拟的实验数据。该计划将重点关注加拿大阿尔伯塔盆地已确认和可能的影响结构。这一沉积岩序列已被广泛调查的自然资源，但盆地的潜力作为主机记录的火山口事件延伸到古生代，尚未得到充分的探讨。阿尔伯塔盆地的一个陨石坑，直径25公里的斯廷河撞击结构是一个世界级的中央隆起的复杂陨石坑的例子。结合斯廷河的时间和古地理位置的结果，与角砾岩侵位的条件，冷却历史，其后的影响热液系统的演变，将被用来开发一个完整的图片，这个欠研究的撞击坑。世界范围内的一些撞击坑将被包括在这个计划中，以告知，并被告知，我们的详细特征的撞击岩从阿尔伯塔盆地。这些研究目标的成功实现将改进地球上撞击事件的统计数据库，并对沉积目标岩石中形成的新的或研究不足的陆地撞击坑进行详细调查。通过拟议的研究计划，我将指导一名博士，三名硕士和六名本科生，为他们提供宝贵的先进分析设备培训。我的培训计划将使HQP成为独立熟练使用光学和电子显微镜，这是经常使用的矿物学和岩石学的广泛领域。此外，HQP将获得图像分析技术，热建模，实验设计和执行，测井，管理技能方面的专业知识，并精通经济重要盆地的地层学。该培训计划将为学生在学术界，工业界和政府中担任领导角色做好准备。

A hypervelocity impact event occurs when an asteroid or comet strikes the Earth's surface, producing a shock wave that excavates a crater and generates new rocks, called impactites. These violent events have played a crucial role in the evolution of our geosphere and biosphere, and are associated with economic mineral, and hydrocarbon deposits. There are currently 190 confirmed impact craters worldwide, representing only a fraction of the total number anticipated in the geological record. My research program will address major research priorities identified by the impact community. These priorities include understanding the behaviour of sedimentary rocks in the impact environment, improving identification and confirmation criteria for impact craters formed in a variety of rock types, and constraining the timing of impact events. A series of short-term objectives integrating detailed petrographical and geochemical analysis of impactites, with experimental data, aided by computer modeling, will be undertaken to achieve identified research priorities. This program will focus on confirmed and possible impact structures in Canada's Alberta Basin. This sequence of sedimentary rocks has been extensively investigated for natural resources, but the potential of the Basin as host to a record of cratering events extending to the Paleozoic, has yet to be fully explored. One crater in the Alberta Basin the 25-km diameter Steen River impact structure is a world-class example of a complex crater with a central uplift. Combining results for the timing and paleogeographic location of Steen River, with conditions of breccia emplacement, cooling history, and evolution of its post-impact hydrothermal system, will be used to develop a complete picture of this understudied impact crater. A number of impact craters worldwide will be included in this program, to inform, and be informed by, our detailed characterization of impactites from the Alberta Basin. Successful achievement of these research objectives will improve the statistical database of impact events on Earth, and provide detailed investigation of new or understudied terrestrial impact craters formed in sedimentary target rocks. With the proposed research program, I will mentor one PhD, three MSc, and six undergraduate students, providing them with valuable advanced analytical equipment training. My training plan will enable HQP to become independently proficient using optical and electron microscopy, which are routinely used in the broad field of mineralogy and petrology. Additionally, HQP will gain expertise in image analysis techniques, thermal modelling, experiment design and execution, well logging, management skills, and become well-versed in the stratigraphy of an economically important basin. This training plan will prepare students for leadership roles in academia, industry, and government.