Boltysh - Hypervelocity Impact Crater

Alternate Names
Local Language Bovtyshka (Kvasnytsya, 2018)
Coordinates 48° 53' 60" N; 32° 15' 8" E
Notes
  1. ~270 km SE of Kiev, in the Ukranian Shield (Kirovograd district).
Country Ukraine
Region Kirovograd
Date Confirmed 1973
Notes
  1. Earliest reference is (Masaitis, 1973); presence of shatter cones and PDFs in quartz. PDFs in quartz and feldspar (Yurk et al., 1976).
Buried? Yes
Notes
  1. >500 m of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediment cover the structure. Cretaceous and Palaeogene oil shales are developed only in the basin and comprise the filling complex (Masaitis et al., 1980).
Drilled? Yes
Notes
  1. Two holes, B50 and B11475, located 3.5 and 2.25 km from the centre, respectively, penetrate the melt sheet, breccia and fractured basement rocks to a depth of ~1100 m; 29 holes are given on the profile of (Masaitis et al., 1980).
Target Type Crystalline
Notes
  1. Precambrian granite, migmatite, minor gneisses. Early to Middle Proterozoic basement complex composed of granites and associated migmatites and gneisses (Grieve et al., 1987).
Sub-Type Gneiss, Granitoid, Migmatite
Apparent Crater Diameter (km) 24 km
Age (Ma) 65.39 ± 0.14
Notes :
  1. 65.39 ± 0.14 Ma determined by 40Ar/39Ar step-heating of impact melt rocks (Pickersgill et al., 2021) Previous age constraints: 65.80 ± 0.67 Ma (recalculated using the parameters of Renne et al. 2010, 2011) was obtained by 40Ar/39Ar step-heating of impact melt rocks (Kelley and Gurov, 2002) ~2-5 kyrs before Chicxulub was suggested by palynological and 13C evidence from crater-fill sediments (Jolley et al., 2010) 88 ± 6 Ma (Boiko et al., 1985), ~56 Ma (Shcherbak at al. 1978), and 173 Ma (Bass et al. 1967) were all yielded by K-Ar. Original references are in Russian as reported by (Gurov et al. 2003) and (Kelley and Gurov 2002). 96 ± 10 Ma, 105 ± 16 Ma yielded by fission track analysis of impact melt rocks (Komarov and Raykhlin, 1976) (in Russian) as reported by Gurov et al. 2003) 65.04 ± 2.2 Ma yielded by fission track analysis (Kashkarov et al. 1998) Minimum age: probably Thanetian (~59.2 Ma); Maximum age: Cenomanian-Turonian (~93.9 Ma); as determined stratigraphically by (Stanislavsky, 1968) and (Gurov and Gurova, 1991) (in Russian) as reported by Gurov et al. 2003)

Method :
  1. 40Ar-39Ar
Impactor Type Unknown

Advanced Data Fields

Notes

Erosion
2
  1. Rim is partially eroded, the remaining structure is well preserved (Grieve et al., 1987). Some exterior ejecta remaining.
Final Rim Diameter
Unknown
Apparent Rim Diameter
24 km
  1. Dimensions measured from diagram of (Masaitis et al., 1980). Dimensions are approximately equivalent to present because of its immediate burial (Grieve et al., 1987).
Rim Reliability Index
2
  1. Comprises a circular depression with a central uplift completely buried by post-impact sediment (Masaitis et al., 1980). Approximately 24 km in diameter with a 6 km diameter central uplift (Grieve et al., 1987). Geophysics and drill cores indicate a topographic central peak emerges from the surrounding allochthonous crater-fill breccias (Grieve et al., 1987). The central uplift is ~3.8 km wide and emerges by ~100–200 m above the top of the allochthonous crater-fill impactites (Gurov et al., 2006); impact melt-bearing breccias drape part of the central peak.
Crater Morphology
Complex
Central Uplift Diameter
6km
Central Uplift Height
580 m
Uplift Reliability Index
2
Structural Uplift
Unknown
Thickness of Seds
Target Age
Precambrian
Marine
No
Impactor Type
Other Shock Metamorphism
Shatter Cones
Yes
  1. Shatter cones occur in some blocks/large clasts of the parautochthonous crystalline/granitic rocks of the central uplift (Masaitis, 1999) (Gurov et al., 2003).
Planar Fractures
No
Planar Deformation Features
Yes
Diaplectic Glass
Yes
  1. PDF in quartz are partly converted to diaplectic glass (Yurk et al., 1976) (Gurov and Val\'ter, 1977) (Masaitis et al., 1980) (Grieve et al., 1987).
Coesite
Yes
  1. (Gurov et al., 1978) (Khyranina, 1987).
Stisovite
No
Crater Fill
LB, MB, M
  1. Crater depression filled by allogenic breccia and tagamites (Masaitis, 1999). Allogenic breccia (lithic breccias), tagamites (melt rocks) and suevites (melt-bearing breccias) occur in the annular trough (Masaitis, 1999). Glassy and crystalline melt rocks within the melt sheet (Gurov et al., 2011). Volume of melt noted in (Griebe and Cintala, 1992). (Williams et al., 2013) analyzed crater-fill melt-bearing breaccias and impact melt rocks. Ejecta deposits are extensively eroded, and contain lithic breccias and possibly melt-bearing breccias (Gurov et al., 2003).
Proximal Ejecta
LB
Distal Ejecta
Dykes
Volume of Melt
11 km3
Depth of Melting

References

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B F Zernetskiy, Yu I Selin (1967) Significance of Nummulites litoralis of the Boltysh depression for the stratigraphy of shallow-water sediments in the Paleogene, Dopovidi Akademiyi Nauk Ukrayins'koyi RSR, Seriya B: Geologiya, Geofizika, Khimiya ta Biologiya 4, p. 302-305, Kiev, USSR (SUN): Izdavnitstvo Naukova Dumka, Kiev, url

Yu B Bass, A I Galaka, V I Grabovskiy (1967) The Boltysh oil shales, Razvedka i Okhrana Nedr 9, p. 11-15, Moscow, USSR (SUN): Ministerstvo Geologii, Moscow, url

V A Kotlukov, A I Ginzburg (1973) Shale-bearing formations of the USSR, P P Timofeyev (ed.), Moscow, USSR (SUN): Izd. Nauka, Moscow, url

S S Baukov, V A Kotlukov (1973) Formation of combustible shales: Methods of study and a genetical classification, The formation of combustible shales; methods of study and a genetic classification, S S Baukov, V A Kotlukov (ed.), p. 160, Tallin, USSR (SUN): Izd. Balgus, Tallin, url

V A Golubev, G M Karpov, V A Popovichenko (1974) Meteorite-explosive origin of the Boltysh Depression in the Kirovograd region, Dopovidi Akademiyi Nauk Ukrayins'koyi RSR, Seriya B: Geologiya, Geofizika, Khimiya ta Biologiya 1, p. 10-13, Kiev, USSR (SUN): Izdavnitstvo Naukova Dumka, Kiev, url

Yu B Bass, A I Galaka, V K Grabovskiy, A A Sakharova, V I Konivets (1974) Paleogene oil shales, V A Kotlukov, S S Baukov (ed.), Tallin, USSR (SUN): Izd. Akad. Nauk ESSR, Tallin, url

I R Klesment (1974) The role of fatty acids in the formation of sapropelite, N B Vassoyevich (ed.), Moscow, USSR (SUN): Izd. Nauka, Moscow, url

Yu I Korchagina, I F Yusupova (1974) Compositional features of organic materials in oil shale, N B Vassoyevich (ed.), Moscow, USSR (SUN): Izd. Nauka, Moscow, url

Yu Yu Yurk, G K Yeremenko, Yu A Polkanov (1976) The Boltysh Depression; a fossil meteorite crater, International Geology Review 18(2), p. 196-202, Silver Spring, MD, United States (USA): Winston & Son, Silver Spring, MD, url

A N Komarov, A I Raykhlin (1976) Comparison of fission-track and potassium-argon dating of impactites, Doklady. Earth Science Sections 228(1-6), p. 35-38, Silver Spring, MD, United States (USA): Scripta Publishing, Silver Spring, MD, url

W C Phinney, C H Simonds (1977) Dynamical implications of the petrology and distribution of impact melt rocks, Lunar Science Institute topical conference ; Symposium on planetary cratering mechanics, D J Roddy, R O Pepin, R B Merrill (ed.), New York, N.Y., United States (USA): Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., url

A A Val'ter, F M Bobonich (1979) Rock forming clinoptilolite in meteorite crater deposits, Doklady. Earth Science Sections 248(1-6), p. 142-145, Silver Spring, MD, United States (USA): Scripta Publishing, Silver Spring, MD, url

V L Masaitis, A N Danilin, M S Mashchak, A I Raikhlin, T V Selivanovskaya, E M Shadenkov (1980) The Geology of Astroblemes, Leningrad, Izdatel'stvo Nedra (Russian), p. 232-232, Leningrad: Nedra Press, url

A A Valter, I U P Dobrianskii, E E Lazarenko, V K Tarasiuk (1982) Shock metamorphism of quartz in rocks from the floor of the Boltysh and Il'inetskii astroblemes of the Ukrainian shield and an evaluation of the modification of the form of these astroblemes, Akademiia Nauk SSSR, Doklady 264(1), p. 132-136, url

A I Raykhlin, A N Danilin, E S Gorshkov, V A Starunov (1983) Varieties of tagamites presenting contrasts in Popigay and Boltysh astroblemes, Meteoritika 42, p. 144-148, Moscow, USSR (SUN): Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Moscow, url

V L Masaitis, A N Danilin (1983) Vertical chemical differentiation of massive impactites, forming thick sheets in terrestrial impact craters, Proceedings of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 14, Part 2, p. 464-465, New York, NY, United States (USA): Pergamon, New York, NY, url

Ye Ye Lazarenko (1983) New system of planar elements in quartz which has undergone shock metamorphism, Mineralogicheskiy Zhurnal 5(1), p. 87-90, Kiev, USSR (SUN): Akademiya Nauk Ukrainy, Kiev, url

A I Raikhlin, A N Danilin, E S Gorshkov, V A Starunov (1985) Contrasting differences in tagamites from the Popigai and Boltysh astroblems, Contrasting differences in tagamites from the Popigai and Boltysh astroblems 123280, p. 13, url

E P Gurov, H P Gurova, L Bowman, R Dotson, K Hrametz, T McCasey (1985) Boltysh Astrobleme; impact crater pattern with a central uplift, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 16, Part 1, p. 310-311, Houston, TX, United States (USA): Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

R A F Grieve, G Reny, E P (Ye P) Grurov, V A Ryabenko (1985) Impact melt rocks of the Boltysh Crater, Meteoritics 20(4), Carleton Moore B. (ed.), p. 655-656, Tempe, AZ, United States (USA): Arizona State University, Center for Meteorite Studies, Tempe, AZ, url

E P Gurov, E P Gurova, G M Kolesov (1986) Composition of impactites of the Boltysh astrobleme (Sostav impaktitov Boltyshskoi astroblemy), Meteoritika(45), p. 150-155, url

R A F Grieve, G Reny, E P Gurov, V A Ryabenko (1987) The melt rocks of the Boltysch impact crater, Ukraine, USSR, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 96(1), p. 56-62, Heidelberg-New York, International (III): Springer International, Heidelberg-New York, url

E P Gurov, D P Demenko (1987) Electron microscopy of diaplectic glasses and impact melted glasses, Abstracts - International Conference on Natural Glasses 2, E Jelinek (ed.), p. 25, Prague, Czechoslovakia (CSK): [publisher varies], Prague, url

L V Sazonova, N N Korotaeva (1989) Features characterizing the morphology and chemical composition of feldspars of impact melts of the Boltysh astrobleme (Osobennosti morfologii i khimicheskogo sostava polevykh shpatov rasplavnykh impaktitov Boltyshskoi astroblemy), Meteoritika(48), p. 183-193, url

A A Val'ter, G M Kolesov (1990) Distribution of rare-earth elements in rocks from terrestrial astroblemes (Raspredelenie redkozemel'nykh elementov v gornykh porodakh astroblem), Geokhimiia, p. 915-925, url

A A Val'ter, G M Kolesov (1991) Distribution of rare-earth elements in astrobleme rocks, Geochemistry International 28(2), p. 1-11, Birmingham, AL, United States (USA): MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica Publishing, Birmingham, AL, url

T Hoelker, A Deutsch (1996) Strontium and Nd isotopic compositions of impact melt rocks from the Boltysh and Lappajarvi impact structures, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 31, Suppl., Derek W G Sears (ed.), p. 62-63, Fayetteville, AR, United States (USA): Meteoritical Society, Fayetteville, AR, url

T Hoelker, A Deutsch (1996) The Boltysh impact structure, Ukraine; geochemistry of the melt sheet, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 27, Part 2, p. 555-556, Houston, TX, United States (USA): Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

G Schmidt (1997) Clues to the nature of the impacting bodies from platinum-group elements (rhenium and gold) in borehole samples from the Clearwater East Crater (Canada) and the Boltysh impact crater (Ukraine), Meteoritics & Planetary Science 32(6), p. 761-767, Fayetteville, AR, United States (USA): Meteoritical Society, Fayetteville, AR, url

L L Kashkarov, M A Nazarov, G V Kalinina, K A Lorenz, N N Kononkova (1998) Fission track dating of the Boltysh impact crater, Ukraine, Lunar and planetary science XXIX; Proceedings of the 29th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX; UNITED STATES; 16-20 Mar. 1998, url

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Ye P Gurov, Ye P Gurova, R B Rakitskaya, A Yu Yamnichesko (2000) Boltyshskaya impact structure formation as catastrophic event of regional scale, Dopovidi Natsional'noyi Akademiyi Nauk Ukrayini. Matematika, Prirodoznavstvo, Tekhnichni Nauki 2000(8), p. 111-115, Kiev, Ukraine (UKR): Naukova Dumka, Kiev, url

S P Kelley, E P Gurov (2002) Boltysh, another end-Cretaceous impact, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 37(8), p. 1031-1043, Fayetteville, AR, United States (USA): Meteoritical Society, Fayetteville, AR, url

N V Losevskaya (2002) Structure of ejecta in the Boltysh impact crater; Ukrainian Shield, Geologichnyy Zhurnal (1995) = Geological Journal 2002(3), p. 95-100, Kiev, Ukraine (UKR): Natsional'na Akademiya Nauk Ukrayini, Institut Geologichnikh Nauk, Kiev, url

A Valter, Yu Dobraynskii (2002) The cooling history of layered glassy impactites (tagamites) - Influence upon preservation of impact diamonds, 33rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference; Abstracts of Papers, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, 77058-1113, United States, url

A Valter, L Plotnikova (2003) Biostratigraphic indications of end Cretaceous age of the Boltysh impact crater (Ukrainian shield), 34th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference; Abstracts of Papers, Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, Inst. of Applied Physics, Kiev, Ukraine avalter@iop.kiev.ua: Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, 77058-1113, United States, url

A Valter, L Plotnikova (2003) Biostratigraphic indications of the age of the Boltysh impact crater, Ukraine, 6th ESF-impact workshop "Impact makers in the stratigraphic record", Christian Koeberl, Francisca C Martinez-Ruiz (ed.), Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany (DEU): Springer, Berlin, url

E P Gurov, S P Kelley, C Koeberl (2003) Ejecta of the Boltysh impact crater in the Ukrainian Shield, 6th ESF-impact workshop "Impact makers in the stratigraphic record", Christian Koeberl, Francisca C Martinez-Ruiz (ed.), Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany (DEU): Springer, Berlin, url

Michael R Dence (2004) Structural evidence from shock metamorphism in simple and complex impact craters: Linking observations to theory, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 39(2), p. 267-286

E P Gurov, S P Kelley, C Koeberl, N I Dykan (2006) Sediments and impact rocks filling the Boltysh impact crater, 10th workshop of the ESF IMPACT Programme on Biological processes associated with impact events, Charles S Cockell, Christian Koeberl, Iain Gilmour (ed.), p. 335-358, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany (DEU): Springer, Berlin, url

L R Distanova (2007) Conditions of oil source potential formation in the Eocene deposits in the basins of the Crimea and Caucasus regions, Moscow University Geology Bulletin 62(3), p. 184-189, url, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3103/S0145875207030064

J S Watson, I Gilmour, D W Jolley, S P Kelley, M A Gilmour, E P Gurov (2010) Molecular parameters of post impact cooling in the Boltysh impact structure, Abstracts of Papers Submitted to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 41, p. 0-Paper 2296, Houston, TX, United States (USA): Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, url

E P Gurov, S B Shekhunova, V V Permyakov (2011) Boltysh impact structure and its shock-metamorphic molten rocks, Geofizicheskiy Zhurnal 33(5), p. 66-89, Kiev, Ukraine (UKR): NAN Ukrainy, Institut Geofiziki, Kiev, url

M S Barash (2011) Factors responsible for catastrophic extinction of marine organisms at the Mesozoic-Cenozoic boundary, Russian Academy of Sciences. Oceanology 51(4), p. 640-651, Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovskii pr. 36, Moscow, 117997, Russia, barashms@yandex.ru: MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica, url

F A Williams (2012) Variations Through the Boltysh Suevites: Glasses, Groundmass and Hydrothermal Minerals, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 47, p. A413-A413

F A Williams (2012) Impact glasses and the groundmass of the Boltysh impact crater suevites, Meteoritics & Planetary Science 47, p. A412-A412

M A Gilmour, D W Jolley, J S Watson, S P Kelley (2013) Post-impact heating of a crater lake, EPSC Abstracts Vol. 8, EPSC2013-177, 2013 European Planetary Science Congress 2013 8

Felicity Williams, Simon P Kelley, David Jolley, F A Williams, S P Kelley, I Gilmour, D W Jolley, M Gilmour (2013) The Boltysh Impact Crater, Ukraine: Smectites from the Crater-fill Suevites, European Planetary Science Congress 8, url

A E Pickersgill, D F Mark, M R Lee, S P Kelley, D W Jolley (2021) The Boltysh impact structure: An early Danian impact event during recovery from the K-Pg mass extinction, Science Advances 7(25), p. 1-10, url