Project Details
Structural analysis and remote sensing of the East Range, Sudbury Impact Structure, Canada
Applicant
Professor Dr. Ulrich Peter Riller
Subject Area
Palaeontology
Term
from 2004 to 2010
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5423657
The 1.85 Ga Sudbury Impact Structure, located in the Canadian Shield of Ontario, was affected by orogenic deformation that led to shortening of the Structure by large-scale thrusting and folding. Knowledge of the impact-induced 3-D geometry of impactites and magmatic bodies of the Structure is paramount to infer geological processes during crater evolution. A combination of three geoscientific techniques is proposed to infer the geometry of the Impact Structure prior to orogenic deformation: (1) field-structural analysis pertaining chiefly to understand of folding in deformation, (2) a complete 3-D kinematic balancing of post-impact deformation and (3) analoque modelling using viscous materials to constrain ductile deformation of the Impact Structure. Field-structural analyses will include examination of petrofabrics in the contact zone of the main mass of the Sudbury Igneous Complex with Archean host rocks as well as mapping of mineral shape fabrics in Archean rocks. Kinematic modelling will be based on field-structural data from critical areas of the Impact Structure but also published geophysical and structural geological data. The study is als intended as a pilot study to the International Continental Drilling Program and is expected to contribute to help identify the most suit- able location(s) for deep drilling in the Sudbury area.
DFG Programme
Infrastructure Priority Programmes