Gordon R. Osinski

Western University | UWO · Department of Earth Sciences

Impact cratering is one of the most fundamental processes responsible for shaping the surfaces of solid planetary bodies. One of the principal characteristics of impact events is the formation and emplacement of ejecta deposits, an understanding of which is critical for planetary exploration. Current models of ejecta emplacement, however, do not ac...

Meteorite impact craters are one of the most common geological features in the solar system. An impact event is a near-instantaneous process that releases a huge amount of energy over a very small region on a planetary surface. This results in characteristic changes in the target rocks, from vaporization and melting to solid-state effects, such as...

The conditions, timing, and setting for the origin of life on Earth and whether life exists elsewhere in our solar system and beyond represent some of the most fundamental scientific questions of our time. Although the bombardment of planets and satellites by asteroids and comets has long been viewed as a destructive process that would have present...

Over the past few decades, it has become increasingly clear that the impact of interplanetary bodies on other planetary bodies is one of the most ubiquitous and important geological processes in the Solar System. This impact process has played a fundamental role throughout the history of the Earth and other planetary bodies, resulting in both destr...

Sample analyses consideration as part of the Artemis III sampling plan.

Planetary geologic maps are crucial tools for understanding the geological features and processes of solid bodies in the Solar System. Over the past six decades, best practices in planetary geologic mapping have emphasized clear and objective observation, geological interpretation, multi‐sensor fusion, and iterative revision of maps based on new da...

Evidence for the beneficial role of impacts in the creation of urable or habitable environments on Earth prompts the question of whether meteorite impacts could play a similar role at other potentially urable/habitable worlds like Enceladus, Europa, and Titan. In this work, we demonstrate that to first order, impact conditions on these worlds are l...

A detailed analysis of the textural and geochemical diversity of lunar meteorite Touat 005. Type specimens indicate a sample rich in anorthositic clasts and minor melt rock component, however, a newly acquired specimen may reveal increased heterogeneity in this meteorite

One of the most common types of allochthonous impactite produced in hypervelocity impact events is impact breccia that contains melt particles. In numerous terrestrial hypervelocity impact structures such melt‐bearing breccias have been termed “suevite,” after the type locality at the Ries impact structure, Germany. Despite its widespread occurrenc...

Hypervelocity impacts can generate hydrothermal systems, which have been suggested as candidate environments for prebiotic chemistry on the early Earth. The Haughton impact structure (a 23 km diameter crater located on Devon Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada) displays evidence of water‐rock alteration indicative of a hydrothermal system generated from...

Ocean drilling perspectives in impact craters.

Vermicular Ridge Features (VRFs) comprise a series of ridges and troughs with a circular, sinuous, and anastomosing morphology composed of clast-rich sandy diamict. VRFs were first reported on the south coast of Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada, in the Dundas Harbour region. Here, we document the presence of VRFs near Mokka Fjord on Axel Heiberg Islan...

Subglacial channels are morphologically and morphometrically distinct in comparison to fluvial channels, yet their identification from remote sensing data is still problematic. To contribute to the current set of criteria used to identify such channels, we performed detailed field observations of two subglacial channel networks on Devon Island, Nun...

Basaltic hydrovolcanic environments on Earth produce abundant glass (sideromelane), which readily alters and acts as an important source of chemical energy for lithotrophic microorganisms; as such, these sites are significant for potential origins-of-life and early life research. Similar environments were identified on Mars and should be considered...

The first detection of apatite within a ferroan anorthosite clast in lunar meteorite Arabian Peninsula 007. The petrography, geochronology, and volatile systematics of this clast are explored, along with their implications for the evolution of the lunar magma ocean and early lunar crust.

The diversity in textures and geochemistry observed in impact melt rock clasts in Apollo 16 breccia 67015, and an exploration of their possible provenance

Stream networks in Arctic and high-elevation regions underlain by frozen ground (i.e., permafrost) are expanding and developing in response to accelerating global warming, and intensifying summertime climate variability. The underlying processes governing landscape dissection in these environments are varied, complex and challenging to unravel due...

The presence of extensive clay minerals in the ancient Noachian terrains of Mars is often used to invoke past climatic conditions that were warmer and supported surface-stable liquid water. These clay-rich regions are also heavily cratered, leading to the possibility of a causal relationship. The aim of this study is to better understand the impact...

We are conducting a detailed geological study of this region and propose that the Amundsen-Ganswindt basin offers several high-priority science targets for the Endurance rover mission.

This presentation discussed the geology Amundsen-Ganswindt basin in the context of the Artemis program and Artemis 3. In a small geographic region within A-G, near the existing Artemis candidate sites, there exists (on low slope terrain), the potential to sample SPA material, ejecta from Schrödinger and Amundsen craters, and preserved volatiles.

Overlapping the Artemis exploration zone is a 335km circular structure unofficially named the "Amundsen-Ganswindt" basin (A-G). We are conducting a detailed geological study of this region and propose that this overlooked impact basin possesses attributes that make it an ideal site for future, post-Artemis III, human and/or robotic missions.

Carbonates from the impact melt‐bearing breccia in the 2016 IODP/ICDP Expedition 364 drill core at Site M0077 were systematically documented and characterized petrographically and geochemically. Calcite, the only carbonate mineral present, is abundant throughout this deposit as five distinct varieties: (1) subangular carbonate clasts (Type A); (2)...

The ~5 km diameter Gow Lake impact structure formed in the Canadian Shield of northern Saskatchewan approximately 197 Myr ago. This structure has not been studied in detail since its discovery during a regional gravity survey in the early 1970s. We report here on field observations from a 2011 expedition that, when combined with subsequent laborato...

Mars is host to a variety of active surface processes that relate to changes in seasonal ice/frost, slope activity, wind and processes potentially relating to liquid water. Regular monitoring and change detection of these phenomena is crucial to not only provide us insights into present day Martian surface conditions, but also its past geologic and...

Plain Language Summary The ancient surface of Mars is dominated by impact craters that have been modified by mass wasting, aeolian infilling, water activity, and subsequent impact cratering. Erosion has lowered or eliminated the relief of many craters' rims, resulting in “degraded” craters. On early Mars, water activity also led to the formation of...

The Offset Dykes of the ~1.85 Ga ~200 km-diameter Sudbury impact structure formed by the injection of impact melt from embayment structures in the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) – the ~3–5 km thick impact melt sheet – into the footwall of the crater. Despite having been recognized over a century ago and being the sites for several world-class ore de...

The northernmost exposures of the Laurentian shield in Canada outcrop on Devon and Ellesmere islands, near the tectonic domains of the ≥2.6 Ga Rae Province and ca. 2.0–1.9 Ga Thelon–Inglefield orogenic arc. We report (Th)–U–Pb zircon and monazite ages along with phase equilibrium modelling pressure–temperature estimates for southern Devon Island, t...

Distinguishing between lava types and facies using remote sensing data is important for interpreting the emplacement history of lava flow‐fields on Earth and other planetary bodies. Lava facies typically include a mixture of lava types and record the collective emplacement history of material preserved at a particular location. We seek to determine...

Introduction: Plagioclase feldspar is the most abundant components of igneous rocks found in the crust of Earth and lunar highland rocks. They can also be seen in lunar and Martian meteorites, and detected on the surfaces of Mars, Venus and Mercury. Knowledge of how plagioclases response to the variations of pressure and temperature is important fo...

Gonzalez-Flores_Jin_Osinski_Tsujita 2022 Astrobiology - Supplemental Data - Acritarch-like microorganisms from the 1.9 Ga Gunflint Chert, Canada

Fossil evidence of eukaryotic life older than 1.8 Ga has long been debated because known fossils of that age usually lack cellular micro- and ultra-structures that bear strong affinities to eukaryotes. These include fossils of the ∼1.9 Ga Gunflint Chert microbiota that, despite being exceptionally well preserved, have suffered from cellular degrada...

The production of superheated melt during hypervelocity impact events has been proposed to be a common occurrence on terrestrial planetary bodies. Recent direct evidence of superheated impact melt temperatures exceeding >2370°C from the Kamestastin (Mistastin Lake) impact structure, Canada, was based on a single impact glass sample. Such high super...

Definition Shock metamorphism is the production of irreversible chemical or physical changes in target materials as a result of the passage of shock waves generated from hypervelocity impact events.

Raman spectroscopy is a useful tool for purposely selecting moderately to strongly shocked samples to study in lab and/or return in future lunar missions.

Impact crater lakes with an inlet valley were common on Mars during past epochs. However, it has not been established exactly how impact craters with initially high-standing rims were breached by an inlet. We investigated four potential mechanisms for inlet valley breach formation: (1) rim erosion, (2) depositional rim burial, (3) drainage head ero...

Determining the age of meteorite impacts with accuracy and precision requires the use of isotopic chronometers. The suitability of a speciVc chronometer for this task depends on whether or not: 1) the dated phase crystallized during the impact event; 2) the pertinent isotopic systematics of a dated, pre-impact phase were fully reset during the impa...

Impact craters and their ejecta deposits offer insights into the structure and composition of planetary crusts. The 68 km diameter Hargraves Crater, Mars, demonstrates an unusual balance of exposure and preservation in its ejecta deposits. We investigated the morphologic, morphometric, thermophysical, and stratigraphic characteristics of the Hargra...

The peak-ring of the 66 Ma, ~180 km Chicxulub impact structure in the northern Yucatán peninsula and southern Gulf of Mexico was sampled during the International Ocean Discovery Program and International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (IODP–ICDP) Expedition 364 at Site M0077 (21.45° N, 89.95° W). Secondary clay minerals are pervasive throu...

During planetary exploration mission operations, one of the key responsibilities of the instrument teams to determine data viability for subsequent analysis. During the 2019 CanMoon Lunar Sample Return Analogue Mission, the Lead Raman Specialist manually examined each spectra to provide quality assurance/validation. This non-trivial process require...

The Martian climate system has been revealed to rival the complexity of Earth’s. Over the last 20 yr, a fragmented and incomplete picture has emerged of its structure and variability; we remain largely ignorant of many of the physical processes driving matter and energy flow between and within Mars’ diverse climate domains. Mars Orbiters for Surfac...

Autonomous image recognition has numerous potential applications in the field of planetary science and geology. For instance, having the ability to classify images of rocks would allow geologists to have immediate feedback without having to bring back samples to the laboratory. Also, planetary rovers could classify rocks in remote places and even i...

Conspicuous ridges with a circular, sinuous and anastomosing morphology, termed Vermicular Ridge Features (VRFs), have been observed along the coast of Dundas Harbour, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. Periglacial and glacial processes can produce morphologically similar ridge landforms, such as stone circles or ice disintegration features. However, V...

Schrödinger basin, a 312 km diameter complex impact structure located near the lunar south pole, has been widely cited as a prime target for future lunar exploration. In 2020 NASA identified Schrödinger as a high-priority landing site for a 2024 mission supported by the Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon solicitation an...

Earth’s moon is a primary exploration target for space agencies around the world. The Moon records and preserves key information about fundamental processes that shape planetary crusts such as impact cratering. Understanding shock effects in lunar anorthite (Ca-rich end-member of plagioclase feldspar), the principal component of anorthosite and mos...

We report on the effect of the end-Cretaceous impact event on the present-day deep microbial biosphere at the impact site. IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 drilled into the peak ring of the Chicxulub crater, México, allowing us to investigate the microbial communities within this structure. Increased cell biomass was found in the impact suevite, which was...

In this study, we present quadruple sulfur isotope values (QSI: ³²S,³³S,³⁴S,³⁶S) measured in sediments from two sulfur-rich Mars analogue environments: i) the glacially-fed hydrothermal pools in Iceland (Kerlingarfjöll and Kverkfjöll), and ii) the Lost Hammer hypersaline spring from Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada. The localities host differen...

Currently, Mars appears to be in a frozen state, with the clear majority of the planet’s surface maintaining year-round sub-zero temperatures. The discovery of features consistent with landforms found in periglacial environments on Earth, suggests a recent climate history for Mars dominated by the presence of permafrost and/or freeze-thaw cycling....

Large impact structures with peak rings are common landforms across the solar system, and their formation has implications for both the interior structure and thermal evolution of planetary bodies. Numerical modeling and structural studies have been used to simulate and ground truth peak-ring formative mechanisms, but the shock metamorphic record o...

High‐resolution images and elevation data sets from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter along with spectral data from the Clementine mission are used to identify and map in detail the well‐preserved Late Imbrian Tsiolkovskiy crater situated on the far side of the Moon. This study identifies five distinct morphologic units associated with Tsiolkovskiy...

Core from Hole M0077 from IODP/ICDP Expedition 364 provides unprecedented evidence for the physical processes in effect during the interaction of impact melt with rock-debris-laden seawater, following a large meteorite impact into waters of the Yucatán shelf. Evidence for this interaction is based on petrographic, microstructural and chemical exami...

This paper emphasizes the importance of using terrestrial analogues to improve our understanding of the role of ice on Mars, both in the past and present, through its associated landforms. We present a series of sites of interest for their climate conditions, topography, glaciation history, ice dynamics and mass balance, and presence of specific la...

Mars Polar Science is an integrated, compelling system that serves as a nearby analogue to numerous other planets, supports human exploration, and habitability. Mars possesses the closest and most easily accessible layered ice deposits outside of Earth, and accessing those layers to read the climate record would be a triumph for planetary science.

Negril crater is a 52 km complex crater located north of Syrtis Major, Mars. The central uplift of Negril crater is remarkably well-exposed and contains one of the best examples of dykes associated with a Martian crater. This study aims to characterize the dykes within the central uplift and determine if they are impactite dykes that formed as a pa...

The impact melt‐bearing breccias at the Ries impact structure, Germany, host degassing pipes: vertical structures that are inferred to represent conduits along which gases and fluids escaped to the surface, consistent with hydrothermal activity that occurs soon after an impact event. Although the presence of degassing pipes has been recognized with...

Viscous flow features, including lobate debris aprons and lineated valley fill, are common ice-related features found across the mid-latitudes of Mars. These features are commonly found along the dichotomy boundary and around massifs where snow and ice can accumulate and flow to topographic lows during periods of higher obliquity. We have identifie...