Metamorphism on the Moon: A terrestrial analogue in the Vredefort dome, South Africa?

Research Article| May 01, 2002 Metamorphism on the Moon: A terrestrial analogue in the Vredefort dome, South Africa? Roger L. Gibson; Roger L. Gibson 1Impact Cratering Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar W. Uwe Reimold; W. Uwe Reimold 1Impact Cratering Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrew J. Ashley; Andrew J. Ashley 1Impact Cratering Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Christian Koeberl Christian Koeberl 2Institute of Geochemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Roger L. Gibson 1Impact Cratering Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa W. Uwe Reimold 1Impact Cratering Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa Andrew J. Ashley 1Impact Cratering Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa Christian Koeberl 2Institute of Geochemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 20 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 22 Jan 2002 Accepted: 06 Feb 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (5): 475–478. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0475:MOTMAT>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 20 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 22 Jan 2002 Accepted: 06 Feb 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Roger L. Gibson, W. Uwe Reimold, Andrew J. Ashley, Christian Koeberl; Metamorphism on the Moon: A terrestrial analogue in the Vredefort dome, South Africa?. Geology 2002;; 30 (5): 475–478. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0475:MOTMAT>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract A new model is proposed to explain the origin of enigmatic fine-grained granulite facies rocks sampled from the Moon, based on observations from the Vredefort dome, South Africa. The dome is the deeply eroded central uplift of the ∼300-km-diameter Vredefort impact structure. In the dome, fine-grained granulites displaying poikilitic or granoblastic microstructures were formed by relatively slow cooling of shock ± friction melts derived at T > 1350 °C. Slow cooling was achieved owing to the >7 km depth of burial of the rocks following the impact. At least some of the lunar granulitic impactites may also have formed by shock heating and slow cooling at deep levels within the central uplifts of large impact structures, without the need for additional heating by younger intrusive or impact melt bodies. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.