Rock magnetic and paleomagnetic study of the Keurusselkä impact structure, central Finland

Abstract

Abstract–There are 31 proven impact structures in Fennoscandia—one of the most densely crater‐populated areas of the Earth. The recently discovered Keurusselkä impact structure (62°08′ N, 24°37′ E) is located within the Central Finland Granitoid Complex, which formed 1890–1860 Ma ago during the Svecofennian orogeny. It is a deeply eroded complex crater that yields in situ shatter cones with evidence of shock metamorphism, e.g., planar deformation features in quartz. New petrophysical and rock magnetic results of shocked and unshocked target rocks of various lithologies combined with paleomagnetic studies are presented. The suggested central uplift with shatter cones is characterized by increased magnetization and susceptibility. The presence of magnetite and pyrrhotite was observed as carriers for the remanent magnetization. Four different remanent magnetization directions were isolated: (1) a characteristic Svecofennian target rock component A with a mean direction ofD = 334.8°,I = 45.6°, α95 = 14.9° yielding a pole (Plat = 51.1°, Plon = 241.9°,A95 = 15.1°), (2) component B,D = 42.4°,I = 64.1°, α95 = 8.4° yielding a pole (Plat = 61.0°, Plon = 129.1°,A95 = 10.6°), (3) component C (D = 159.5°,I= 65.4°, α95 = 10.7°) yielding a pole (Plat = 21.0°, Plon = 39.3°,A95 = 15.6°), and (4) component E (D = 275.5°,I = 62.0°, α95 = 14.4°) yielding a pole (Plat = 39.7°, Plon = 314.3°,A95 = 19.7°). Components C and E are considered much younger, possibly Neoproterozoic overprints, compared with the components A and B. The pole of component B corresponds with the 1120 Ma pole of Salla diabase dyke and is in agreement with the40Ar/39Ar age of 1140 Ma from a pseudotachylitic breccia vein in a central part of the structure. Therefore, component B could be related to the impact, and thus represent the impact age.