Traces of an H chondrite in the impact-melt rocks from the Lappajrvi impact structure, Finland

Abstract

Here we present the results of a geochemical study of the projectile component in impact melt rocks from the Lappajrvi impact structure, Finland. Main- and trace-element analyses, including platinum group elements (PGEs), were carried out on twenty impact-melt rock samples from different locations and on two shocked granite fragments. The results clearly illustrate that all the impact melt rocks are contaminated with an extraterrestrial component. An identification of the projectile type was performed by determining the projectile elemental ratios and comparing the corresponding element ratios in chondrites. The projectile elemental ratios suggest an H chondrite as the most likely projectile type for the Lappajrvi impact structure. The PGE composition of the highly diluted projectile component (~0.05 and 0.7 wt% in the impact-melt rocks) is similar to the recent meteorite population of H chondrites reaching Earth. The relative abundance of ordinary chondrites, including H, L, and LL chondrites, as projectiles at terrestrial impact structures is most likely related to the position of their parent bodies relative to the main resonance positions. This relative abundance of ordinary chondrites suggests a strong bias of the impactor population toward inner Main Belt objects.