Decompression mechanism of ferric iron reduction in tektite melts during their formation in the impact process |
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| Authors: | O A Lukanin A A Kadik |
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| Institution: | (1) Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Kosygina 19, Moscow, 119991, Russia |
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| Abstract: | The analysis of available data on the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio of impact-produced glasses showed that tektites and some other types of impact glasses are reduced compared with the precursor target material. Possible reasons for the change in the degree of iron oxidation in the impact process are still debatable. Based on the analysis of redox reactions in relatively simple systems with iron in different oxidation states (Fe-O and SiO2-FeO-Fe2O3) and the available data on the influence of temperature, oxygen partial pressure (pO2), and total pressure (P tot) on the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio of silicate melts, a model was proposed suggesting that the lower Fe3+/Fe2+ values of tektites formed in the impact process compared with the initial target material could be related to the characteristics of oxygen regime during the decompression stage following shock compression. One of the main prerequisites for the occurrence of reduction reactions involving iron and other elements is the attainment of high temperatures (>1800–2000°C) at a certain stage of decompression, providing the complete melting and partial evaporation of the material. When the vapor pressure in the system becomes equal to the total pressure during adiabatic decompression, a further decrease in P tot will be inevitably accompanied by a decrease in pO2 and, correspondingly, partial reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ in the melt. The reactions of decompression reduction occur under closed-system conditions and do not require oxygen removal from the system. The higher the temperature and Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio of the melt, the more extensive iron reduction can be observed during the final stages of decompression. If the temperatures attained during decompression after an impact event are sufficient (>2500–3000°C) for the complete evaporation of the material, the melt produced during subsequent condensation must be significantly more reduced than the initial material. The final stage of the impact process is characterized by a catastrophic expansion of the explosion cloud, condensation, and rapid cooling. During this stage, the system is already not closed. The quenched glasses of this stage record the redox state of earlier melts. In addition, they can contain microinclusions of the products of nonequilibrium vapor condensation with iron compounds of different oxidation states, including metallic iron and iron oxides (wüstite, magnetite, and hematite). |
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