Structural reconstitution upon dry thermal annealing of mildly to strongly radiation-damaged, gem-quality zircon from Sri Lanka has been studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Results of structure refinement of a strongly radiation-damaged zircon (sample GZ5, calculated alpha dose ~4 × 10¹⁸ g⁻¹) indicate the existence of an interstitial oxygen site that is sparsely occupied (about 4% of all O atoms). Annealing of this sample at T_a (annealing temperature) = 700 °C has resulted in nearly complete recrystallization of its amorphous volume fraction and significant decrease in the occupation of O-interstitial sites. For all samples studied, annealing up to T_a ≤ 650–700 °C is characterised by preferred recovery of Raman shifts (compared to Raman FWHMs; full width at half band maximum) and extensive contraction of the unit-cell volume, in particular along unit-cell dimension a. This low-T annealing is dominated by epitaxial growth of the crystalline volume fraction at the expense of the amorphous volume fraction, and general recovery of low-energy defects. During annealing at T_a = 700–1400 °C there is preferred recovery of Raman FWHMs (compared to Raman shifts) and only mild unit-cell contraction. High-T annealing is dominated by the recovery of high-energy defects such as recombination of cation Frenkel pairs. Here, unit-cell parameter a shows a remarkable behaviour (namely, mild re-increase at T_a = 700–1150 °C and mild final shrinking at T_a = 1000–1400 °C), which is attributed to enhanced contortion of ZrO₈ polyhedrons due to cation repulsion. The combined data set of Raman band and unit-cell parameter presented herein will help analysts to assign Raman spectra of annealed unknowns to certain recovery stages.

The Vredefort impact structure, South Africa, is a 2.02 Ga deeply eroded meteorite scar that provides an opportunity to study large impact craters at their lower stratigraphic levels. A series of anomalous granophyre dikes in the core of the structure are believed to be composed of an impact melt, which intruded downwards from the crater floor, exploiting fractures in basement rocks. However, the melt emplacement mechanisms and timing are not constrained. The granophyre dikes contain supracrustal xenoliths captured at higher levels, presently eroded. By studying these clasts and shocked minerals within, we can better understand the nature of dikes, magnitude of impact melt movement, conditions that affected target rocks near the impacted surface, and erosional rates. We report “former reidite in granular neoblastic” (FRIGN) zircon within a granite clast enclosed in the granophyre. High-pressure zircon transformation to reidite (ZrSiO₄) and reversion to zircon resulted in zircon grains composed of fine neoblasts (~0.5–3 μm) with two or three orthogonal orientations. Our finding provides new independent constraints on the emplacement history of Vredefort granophyre dikes. Based on the environment, where other FRIGN zircons are found (impact glasses and melts), the clast was possibly captured near the top of the impact melt sheet and transported to the lowermost levels of the structure, traveling some 8–10 km. Our finding not only provides the highest-pressure shock estimates thus far discovered in the Vredefort structure (≥30 GPa), but also shows that microscopic evidence of high shock pressures can be found within large eroded craters at their lowest stratigraphic levels.

Context.Shock-induced changes in ordinary chondrite meteorites related to impacts or planetary collisions are known to be capable of altering their optical properties. Thus, one can hypothesize that a significant portion of the ordinary chondrite material may be hidden within the observed dark C/X asteroid population.Aims.The exact pressure-temperature conditions of the shock-induced darkening are not well constrained. Thus, we experimentally investigate the gradual changes in the chondrite material optical properties as a function of the shock pressure.Methods.A spherical shock experiment with Chelyabinsk LL5 was performed in order to study the changes in its optical properties. The spherical shock experiment geometry allows for a gradual increase of shock pressure from ~15 GPa at a rim toward hundreds of gigapascals in the center.Results.Four distinct zones were observed with an increasing shock load. The optical changes are minimal up to ~50 GPa. In the region of ~50–60 GPa, shock darkening occurs due to the troilite melt infusion into silicates. This process abruptly ceases at pressures of ~60 GPa due to an onset of silicate melting. At pressures higher than ~150 GPa, recrystallization occurs and is associated with a second-stage shock darkening due to fine troilite-metal eutectic grains. The shock darkening affects the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared region while changes to the MIR spectrum are minimal.Conclusions.Shock darkening is caused by two distinct mechanisms with characteristic pressure regions, which are separated by an interval where the darkening ceases. This implies a reduced amount of shock-darkened material produced during the asteroid collisions.