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Science 25 October 1985:
Vol. 230. no. 4724, pp. 436 - 439
DOI: 10.1126/science.230.4724.436
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Articles

Origin of the Sudbury Complex by Meteoritic Impact: Neodymium Isotopic Evidence

BILLY E. FAGGART JR. 1, ASISH R. BASU 1, and MITSUNOBU TATSUMOTO 2

1 Department of Geological Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
2 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225

Samarium-neodymium isotopic data on whole rocks and minerals of the Sudbury Complex in Canada gave an igneous crystallization age of 1840 ± 21 x 106 years. The initial epsilon neodymium values for 15 whole rocks are similar to those for average upper continental crust, falling on the crustal trend of neodymium isotopic evolution as defined by shales. The rare earth element concentration patterns of Sudbury rocks are also similar to upper crustal averages. These data suggest that the Sudbury Complex formed from melts generated in the upper crust and are consistent with a meteoritic impact.

Submitted on May 6, 1985
Accepted on September 11, 1985


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