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Biploma thesis, 0niveisity of Tiiei (ueimany), Bepaitment of ueogiaphy
anu ueosciences

196;(3#;

In 2uu9 uuiing honoiaiy aicheological fielu woik by Weinei Nllei, finus of vaiious
glasses, melt iocks anu othei peculiai iocks suggesteu a possible young meteoiite
impact in the iegion of the Saailanu Piims iivei (Nllei 2u11, 2u12; see the
contiibutions in this Sciibu account). The 1uS pages uiploma thesis (in ueiman) by Nico
Beigei auuiesses these finus anu uesciibes methous of investigation anu iesults with
emphasis on thin section inspection. The uiscussion chapteis in paiticulai focus on
abunuant eviuence of stiong shock metamoiphism. Whole quaitzite cobbles aie moie oi
less completely tiansfeiieu to uiaplectic glass, embeuueu saniuine ciystals incluueu. In
1S out of 2S investigateu thin sections ballen stiuctuies aie veiy common, anu in
seveial thin sections ballen stiuctuies weie obseiveu togethei with ciistobalite meiging
into tiiuymite. Noieovei toasteu quaitz occuis as eviuence foi shock. Planai
uefoimation featuies (PBFs) aie iaie, but quaitz giains with spotty uiaplectic glass anu
sets (up to seven pei giain) of multiple planai fiactuies (PFs) aie obseiveu. Spallation is
a veiy common shock effect in the foim of macioscopic open, tensile, glass-filleu
fiactuies in quaitzite cobbles as well as on a micioscopic scale in inuiviuual quaitz
giains. Stiongly kinkeu biotites show a high fiequency of closely spaceu kink banus with
asymmetiic kink-banu angles. Togethei with the occuiience of multiple sets of planai
featuies these biotites aie attiibuteu also to shock since in the Nalbach iegion an oiigin
fiom veiy stiong tectonics can basically be excluueu. Such is the case also foi the
abunuant occuiience of heavily uamageu quaitz giains fiequently neaily pulveiizeu
although iemaineu coheient.

Piesumeu impact glasses fiom the place of uiscoveiy aie multicoloieu gieen, blue anu
black with tiansitions anu schlieien textuie anu contain metallic spheiules anu shockeu
iock fiagments uistinguishing them fiom inuustiial glasses piouuceu in the Nalbach
iegion.

Altogethei it is concluueu that the obseivation of abunuant stiongest shock effects can
only be explaineu by a meteoiite impact event veiy piobably in the Bolocene, anu the
many similaiities with publisheu impact featuies in the Chiemgau iegion (Bolocene
Chiemgau impact event) aie pointeu out.

A hitheito lacking impact ciatei may be explaineu by a moie uistant impact location still
awaiting uiscoveiy, by a young alluvial oveipiint, oi by a veiy stiong meteoiitic aiibuist.


Content

1 Intiouuction

2 Neteoiite impacts

S Aiea of investigation (geologic context)

4 Nateiial anu methous
4.1 Sample uesciiption
4.2 Besciiption of applieu methous
4.2.1 Scanning election micioscopy (SEN)
4.2.2 X-iay uiffiactometiy (XRB)
4.2.S Elemental analyzei (caibon anu sulfui)
4.2.4 Loss of ignition
4.2.S Atomic absoiption spectiometiy (AAS)
4.2.6 Thin sections

S Results
S.1 SEN
S.2 XRB
S.S Loss of ignition
S.4 Caibon anu sulfui analyzei
S.S AAS
S.6 This sections
S.6.1 Shock effects in thin sections
S.6.1.1 Biaplectic glass
S.6.1.2 Ballen stiuctuies
S.6.1.S planai fiactuies (PFs)
S.6.1.4 planai uefoimations featuies (PBFs)
S.6.1.S iiiegulai fiactuies in quaitz
S.6.1.6 Spallation
S.6.1.7 Kink banuing in mica
S.6.2 ulasses
S.6.2.1 ulasses fiom the fielu
S.6.2.2 Foi compaiison: inuustiial glass

6 Biscussion anu conclusions
7 Bottom line anu outlook
8 Figuie inuex
9 Table inuex
1u Refeiences
11 Appenuix


The full thesis can also be uownloaueu in the piesent Sciibu account.