Physical property measurements: ICDP boreholes LB-07A and LB-08A,Lake Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana

Abstract

Physical rock property measurements provide the primary constraints for any geological models hypothesized from geophysical observations. Previous geophysical models of the Bosumtwi impact structure hypothesized that a highly magnetic and dense impact-melt sheet might be the source of the observed magnetic anomalies. However, magnetic susceptibility and density measurements made on International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) cores LB-07A and LB-08A from the interior of the Bosumtwi meteorite impact structure contain no evidence for that. Both density and magnetic susceptibility logs on both boreholes exhibit low-amplitude contrasts between the uppermost polymict lithic breccia and suevite, the intermediate monomict lithic breccia, and the lowermost bedrock. The depth extent of fracture-related density reduction is much greater at LB-08A than at LB-07A. A total magnetic intensity log from borehole LB-08A supports the suggestion that magnetic anomalies over Lake Bosumtwi are mainly sourced in undetected and/or covered bedrock intrusions, like the ones outcropping at the northeast and to the southwest of the lake.