Shock Metamorphism of Impactite Lithologies of the Icdp Chicxulub Drill

(1) Upper sorted suevite (794.63 – 807.75 m) and (2) Lower sorted suevite (807.75 – 823.25 m): The dominating component in both units of the sorted suevite are melt particles of shock stage IV. Two different textural types of melt particles were observed: (1) brownish to pale green silicate melt particles with flow texture, vesicles and schlieren; and (2) dark aphanitic particles with inclusions of mostly shocked and recrystallized silicate clasts and polycrystalline calcite which may indicate possible exsolution of a carbonate melt (Fig. 1). Both types of melt particles are completely crystallized. Outside of the melt particles polycrystalline quartz fragments (shocked and recrystallized) were observed, which may indicate higher shock pressures of shock stage II and III. Quartz and feldspar grains of shock stage I (Fig. 2) with decorated planar deformation features (PDF’s) are present but rare.