Geophysics

Traces of the Permian-Triassic Impact Event Found on the Islands Mallorca and Sardinia, with Raman Spectra of Selected Rock Samples

Authors: Harry K. Hahn
Comments: 29 Pages. 75 images, 25 diagrams, 3 tables

A few kilometers offshore of the eastern coast-line of Mallorca there is a distinct linear step visible on the ocean-floor topography. This linear step on the ocean-floor represents a linear fracture in Earth’s crust that was caused by the impact of ejecta-material, which was ejected by the 1270x950 km Permian-Triassic Impact-Crater (PTI) along the PTI-Ejecta-Ray R1. Parallel to the mentioned linear step on the ocean-floor, more such linear fractures were caused by the impact of Ejecta-Ray R1, along the western side of Mallorca. These linear fractures and the impulse of the impacting PTI-ejecta-material have caused small crust-fragments which were inclined towards east. On their western side these crust-fragments were lifted upwards by the impact event, and in this way they formed the linear mountain-range Serra-de-Tramuntana on the island Mallorca, which runs all along the west-side of Mallorca in a NE- to SW-direction. The mentioned linear fractures are the cause for the later break-off of the islands Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza from the spanish mainland. One particular deep fracture, in combination with the expansion-tectonics-process which was triggered by the PT-Impact Event, has caused this break-off-process. On the spanish mainland the range “Ports-de-Tortosa“, which has the same kind of linear structure and orientation as the Tramuntana Range, probably was formed in the same way. The impact of ejecta-material from Ejecta-Ray R1 has caused the same small crust-fragments, with an inclination towards east, which have formed this range. Originally the “Serra-de-Tramuntana“ and the “Ports-de-Tortosa“ laid side by side, before they drifted apart, caused by an expansion-tectonics-process, as my manipulated satellite image on the next page indicates. Additionally I found clear traces of the PT-Ejecta-Ray R1 on satellite images of the Island Sardinia. I analysed rock-samples from selected sample areas in the Tramuntana-Range with Micro-Raman-Spectroscopy, to find out if they were exposed to a shock-pressure which may indicate an Impact-Event. The Raman-spectra of quartz from the Sample Sites 6-A and 6-B indeed provided first evidence for an impact-event as the probable cause of the linear Tramuntana-Range. The clear shifts of the main Raman-peaks, of the analysed quartz samples, to the lower frequencies 463, 261, 204 and 126 cm-1 (Site 6-A, stone-1) and to 263 and 126 cm-1 (Site 6-B, stone-1) provide first proof for an Impact-Event ! Microscopic images of the analysed quartz grains may provide further proof for an impact-event.
Category: Geophysics