Including Original "Paul H. Letters" Copyright © 1996-2024 Paul V. Heinrich / website © 1996-2024 Dirk Ross - All rights reserved.



Sunday 27 June 2010

Original Little Creek Structure, Louisiana, Paper Now Online

Original Little Creek Structure, Louisiana, Paper Now Online

Sunday, June 27, 2010 5:59 AM

Dear Friends,

A PDF version of the original hard to find paper about the
Little Creek Structure in La Salle Parish, Louisiana is now
available online for downloading for free. This paper is:

Echols, J. B., and R. P. McCulloh, 1998, Little Creek
Structure, T9N-R2E, La Salle Parish, Louisiana. Basin
Research Institute Bulletin. vol. 8. pp. 30-38.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32482964/Little-Creek-Structure-LaSalle-Parish-Louisiana


The Little Creek Structure is an enigmatic polygonal structure
that is located in La Salle Parish near the town of Little Creek,
Louisiana. At the surface, this structure consist of an area of
about 8 square kilometers of Miocene and other sediments that
have been downfaulted by about two thousand feet within a
3.5 to 4.0 km in diameter ring fault system. The Miocene strata
are surrounded by older Oligocene and Eocene sediments.
This structure has been explained by either 1. piracy of a
preexisting piercement-type salt structure, 2. meteorite impact
structure, 3. a deep-seated subsurface igneous diapirism, 4.
or a combination of any of these and other hypotheses. The
surface expression of this structure consist of a series of
discontinuous circular ridges

One geologist, whom I talked with about the origin of this
feature suspects that the interior of this feature is still subsiding.

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday 20 June 2010

New Paper About Clovis, Folsom, and Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis

New Paper About Clovis, Folsom, and Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis

Sunday, June 20, 2010 2:55 PM

The paper is:

Collard, M., B. Buchanan, M. J. Hamilton, M. J. O'Brien,
2010, Spatiotemporal dynamics of the Clovis–Folsom
transition. Journal of Archaeological Science. In Press,
Accepted Manuscript, Available online 1 June 2010
Abstract at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2010.05.011


The paper concludes:

"The results of our study clearly falsify the predictions of
the extraterrestrial impact hypothesis. Both the finding that
the northern Folsom sites are earlier than the southern
Folsom sites, and the finding that there is a hiatus between
Clovis and Folsom in the south of the latter’s range as
well as spatial and temporal overlap of Clovis and Folsom
in the north run counter to the predictions of the extraterrestrial
impact hypothesis."

Yours,

Paul H.

PDF File of Scott et al. (in press) Fungus, Not comet or Catastrophe Paper Now Online

PDF File of Scott et al. (in press) Fungus, Not comet or Catastrophe Paper Now Online

Sunday, June 20, 2010 3:09 PM

Scott, A. C., N. Pinter, M. E. Collinson, M. Hardiman,
S. Anderson, A. P. R. Brain, S. Y. Smith, F. Marone,
and M. Stampanoni, in press, Fungus, not comet or
catastrophe, accounts for carbonaceous spherules in
the Younger Dryas "impact layer". Geophysical Research
Letters doi:10.1029/2010GL043345, in press

can be downloaded for free from

http://sciences.blogs.liberation.fr/files/youg-dryas-sans-impact.pdf


It is part of a web page, "Les mammouths n'ont pas été
tués par une comète" at

http://sciences.blogs.liberation.fr/home/2010/06/les-mamouths-nont-pas-%C3%A9t%C3%A9-tu%C3%A9s-par-une-com%C3%A8te.html


Yours,

Paul H.

Saturday 19 June 2010

Even More Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis Papers

Even More Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis Papers

Saturday, June 19, 2010 10:14 PM

While using Google Scholar, I found even more recent papers
about the Younger Dryas and related impacts.

They are:

Haynes, C. V., Jr., J. Boerner, K. Domanik, D. Lauretta, J.
Ballenger, and J. Goreva, 2010, The Murray Springs
Clovis site, Pleistocene extinction, and the question
of extraterrestrial impact. Proceedings of National
Academy of Sciences.

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/02/09/0908191107.abstract


The abstract to this paper states:

“Magnetic microspherules have terrestrial origins but
also occur as cosmic dust particles. We failed to find
iridium or radiation anomalies. The evidence for
massive biomass burning at Murray Springs is addressed
and found to be lacking. We could not substantiate some
of the claims by Firestone and others, but our findings
do not preclude a terminal Pleistocene cosmic event.”

Also, a paper by the proponents of the Younger Dryas Impact
Hypothesis appeared in a very obscure Russian journal. It is:

Firestone, R. B., A. West, Z. Revay, J. T. Hagstrum, T. Belgya,
A. R. Smith, and S. S. Que Hee, 2010, Analysis of the Younger
Dryas Impact Layer. Journal of Siberian Federal University.
Engineering & Technologies, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 30-62.

Link at:
http://journal.sfu-kras.ru/en/series/technologies/2010/1


PDF file at:
http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/bitstream/2311/1634/1/02_.pdf


A related paper is:

Hagstrum, J. T., R. B. Firestone, A. West, Z. Stefanka, and
Z. Revay, 2010, Micrometeorite Impacts in Beringian
Mammoth Tusks and a Bison Skull. Journal of Siberian
Federal University. Engineering & Technologies, vol. 3,
no. 1, pp. 123-132.
Link at:
http://journal.sfu-kras.ru/en/series/technologies/2010/1


PDF file at:
http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/bitstream/2311/1635/1/06_.pdf


This issue also contains a paper about an alleged impact
crater strewn field in Germany. The paper is:

Ernstson, K., W. Mayer, A. Neumair, B. Rappenglück, M. A.
Rappenglück, D. Rudhaus, and K. W. Zeller, 2010, The
Chiemgau Crater Strewn Field: Evidence of a Holocene
Large Impact Event in Southeast Bavaria, Germany.
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Engineering &
Technologies, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 72-103.

Link at:
http://journal.sfu-kras.ru/en/series/technologies/2010/1


PDF file at:
http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/bitstream/2311/1631/1/04_.pdf


I have not had the time to read through any of these papers.
Therefore, I cannot comment in any detail the validity of their
arguments. Therefore, if a person has any disagreements
with what they argue, contact the authors, not me.

Yours,

Paul H.



Recent Papers on Holocene Impacts and Tsunamis

Recent Papers on Holocene Impacts and Tsunamis

Saturday, June 19, 2010 10:13 PM

Dear Friends,

I found some recent papers that argue for Holocene impact
events and tsunamis. They are:

Cagen, K. and D. Abbott. 2009. Evidence for a tsunami
generated by an impact event in the New York metropolitan
area approximately 2300 years ago. Section I: 23 pp. In S. H.
Fernald, D. Yozzo and H. Andreyko, eds., Final Reports of
the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program, 2008. Hudson
River Foundation.

Link at:
http://www.hudsonriver.org/polgar.htm


PDF file at:
http://www.hudsonriver.org/ls/reports/Polgar_Cagen_TP_01_08_final.pdf


Abbott, D. H., P. Gerard-Little, S. Coste, S. Coste, D. Breger
and S. K. Haslett, 2010, Exotic Grains in a Core from
Cornwall, NY – Do They Have an Impact Source? Journal
of Siberian Federal University. Engineering & Technologies,
vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 5-29.

Link at:
http://journal.sfu-kras.ru/en/series/technologies/2010/1

http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/handle/2311/1632


PDF file at:
http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/bitstream/2311/1632/1/01_.pdf


Bryant, E., S. K. Haslett, S. Scheffers, A. Scheffers, and D.
Kelletat, 2010, Tsunami Chronology supporting Late
Holocene Impacts. Journal of Siberian Federal University.
Engineering & Technologies, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 63-71.

Link at:
http://journal.sfu-kras.ru/en/series/technologies/2010/1


PDF file at:
http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/bitstream/2311/1636/1/03_.pdf


Simonov, K. V., 2010, Computational Experiment in the
Problem of the Recent Traces of Oceanic Cosmic Impacts.
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Engineering &
Technologies, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 104-122.

Link at:
http://journal.sfu-kras.ru/en/series/technologies/2010/1


PDF file at:
http://elib.sfu-kras.ru/bitstream/2311/1633/1/05_.pdf


I have not had the time to read through any of these papers.
Therefore, I Lack any opinion as to validity of their arguments.
Therefore, if a person has any disagreements with what they
argue, contact the authors, not me.

Yours,

Paul H.


Friday 18 June 2010

New Paper: Younger Dryas Impact Theory Controversy Continues

New Paper: Younger Dryas Impact Theory Controversy Continues

Friday, June 18, 2010 11:41 AM

In "[meteorite-list] alternative hypothesis to YD ", Dirk wrote:

"A new paper published which is more likely than the
YD hypothesis:
http://lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspot.com/2010/06/crackpot-yd-hypothesis-gets-wack.html
"

More details at:

Fossil evidence casts doubt on Younger Dryas impact theory
AGU Release No. 10–13, June 16, 2010,
http://www.agu.org/news/press/pr_archives/2010/2010-13.shtml

http://www.astrobiology.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=31062


The paper is:

Scott, A. C., N. Pinter, M. E. Collinson, M. Hardiman, S. Anderson,
A. P. R. Brain, S. Y. Smith, F. Marone, and M. Stampanoni, in press,
Fungus, not comet or catastrophe, accounts for carbonaceous
spherules in the Younger Dryas "impact layer". Geophysical Research
Letters doi:10.1029/2010GL043345, in press.

Papers in Press
http://www.agu.org/contents/journals/ViewPapersInPress.do?journalCode=GL


In addition, there is "Comet Impact as the Cause of the Younger
Dryas: Pros and Cons", Saturday, August 14, 2010, Exploring the
Pleistocene-Holocene Boundary in the Americas: From Molecules
to Continents, American Quaternary Association Meeting, University
of Wyoming, Roy J. Shlemon Center for Quaternary Studies
http://quaternary.uwyo.edu/amqua2010/speakers.html

http://quaternary.uwyo.edu/amqua2010/index.html


Yours,

Paul H.

"The past is never dead. It's not even past."
William Faulkner, Act 1, Scene III, Requiem for a Nun (1951)

Thursday 17 June 2010

Geologists Indicted for Manslaughter for Not Predicting Italian Earthquake

Geologists Indicted for Manslaughter for Not Predicting Italian Earthquake

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 11:33 PM

Dear Friends,

Totally ignorant of the fact that there is no known or
validated means, including variations in the emission of
radon gas, of short term earthquake prediction, the
L'Aquila Prosecutor's office, Italy, has indicted geologists
for failing to predict the time of occurrence of and
sounding an alarm for the L'Aquila Earthquake.

If you are an astronomer in Italy and someone gets
hit by a meteorite, he or she might want to get a lawyer
as using the same logic as the L'Aquila Prosecutor's
office, he or she could prosecuted for not predicting
the meteorite fall and warning people about it.

A web page about this affair is at:
http://www.mi.ingv.it/open_letter/


Some background information can be found at:

1. 2009 L'Aquila earthquake
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_L%27Aquila_earthquake


and 2. Earthquakes’ Many Mysteries Stymie Efforts
to Predict Them by Kenneth Chang, New York Times,
April 13, 2009.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/science/14quak.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/science/14quak.html?_r=1


An email that I received on this matter stated:

"Two weeks ago the L'Aquila Prosecutor's office indicted of
manslaughter the members of the National High Risk Committee
that met in L'Aquila one week before the Mw6.3 earthquake.
The charges are for failing to provide a short term alarm
to the population before the earthquake struck, killing more
than 300 people. The president of INGV, Enzo Boschi (member
of the High Risk Committee), and the director of the National
Earthquake Center, Giulio Selvaggi (just accompanying Boschi
to the meeting as technical specialist), are among the
scientists in seismology and earthquake engineering now
under investigation together with some civil protection
officials.

We think that the allegations against the scientists are
completely unfounded and we look for support on this from
the international scientific community working on
earthquakes and in the Earth sciences in general.

We invite you to sign the letter addressed to the President
of the Italian Republic, published at the the web page
http://www.mi.ingv.it/open_letter/
We also would be
glad if you could extend this invitation to other
seismologists that can possibly share our initiative.

We hope that by this action we can increase the awareness
of people on earthquake risk reduction through education,
preparedness, and a long term program of building
reinforcement.

Thank you in advance for your support

Daniela Pantosti
Alberto Michelini
Alessandro Amato
Massimo Cocco
Ingrid Hunstad
Warner Marzocchi
Claudio Chiarabba
Massimiliano Stucchi
--
Daniela Pantosti
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
Via Vigna Murata 605 - 00143 ROMA"
http://roma1.rm.ingv.it/Members/pantosti/

http://roma1.rm.ingv.it/Members/pantosti/publications/


Yours,

Paul H.

"The past is never dead. It's not even past."
William Faulkner, Act 1, Scene III, Requiem for a Nun (1951)

Monday 14 June 2010

More Evidence of Ancient Oceans on Mars ???

More Evidence of Ancient Oceans on Mars ???

Monday, June 14, 2010 11:07 AM
River Deltas Hint at Ancient Martian Ocean by Jon Cartwright
Nature News, June 13, 2010.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/210424-River-Deltas-Hint-at-Ancient-Martian-Ocean


Di Achille, G., and B. M. Hynek, 2010, Ancient ocean on Mars
supported by global distribution of deltas and valleys. Nature
Geoscience. Published online: 13 June 2010 | doi:10.1038/ngeo891
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ngeo891.html


Also, there are:

Di Achille, G., and B. M. Hynek, 2009, Possible Primordial Oceans
on Mars: Evidence from the Global Distribution of Ancient Deltas?
40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary
Science XL), held March 23-27, 2009 in The Woodlands, Texas, id.1977
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/1977.pdf

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009LPI....40.1977D


and

Di Achille, G., and B. M. Hynek, 2010, The Case of an Integrated Global
Hydrosphere on Early Mars: Clues from the Distribution of Ancient
Deltas and Valley Networks. 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference,
held March 1-5, 2010 in The Woodlands, Texas. LPI Contribution
No. 1533, p.2366
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2010/pdf/2366.pdf

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010LPI....41.2366D


Another paper is:

Fassett, C. I., and J. W. Head, III, 2008, Valley network-fed, open-basin
lakes on Mars: Distribution and implications for Noachian surface and
subsurface hydrology. Icarus. vol. 198, pp. 37–56.

PDF file at http://www.planetary.brown.edu/pdfs/3601.pdf


Yours,

Paul H.







New Update of the Impact Database Available

New Update of the Impact Database Available

Monday, June 14, 2010 10:06 PM

Dear Friends,

A revised version, version 2010.1, of the Impact Database is
now available online as an Excel file. There is also an
accompanying revised kmz file for Google Earth that is now
available. Go see:

Impact Database v. 2010.1
http://impacts.rajmon.cz/


Download Data
http://impacts.rajmon.cz/IDdata.html


History and current status
http://impacts.rajmon.cz/IDhistory.html


Yours,

Paul H.

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Earth’s accretion and core formation

Earth’s accretion and core formation

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 5:17 AM

Fresh Insight Into The Origins Of Planet Earth and the Moon
Offered by ETH Zurich Scientists, Before Its News
http://beforeitsnews.com/news/72/557/Fresh_Insight_Into_The_Origins_Of_Planet_Earth_and_the_Moon_Offered_by_ETH_Zurich_Scientists.html


Rudge, J. F., T. Kleine, and B. Bourdon, 2010, Broad
bounds on Earth’s accretion and core formation constrained
by geochemical models. Nature Geoscience. vol. 3,
pp. 439 - 443.
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v3/n6/abs/ngeo872.html


Yours,

Paul H.

Monday 7 June 2010

Technical question about NomCom and Bulletin

Technical question about NomCom and Bulletin

Monday, June 7, 2010 1:07 AM
Michael Blood wrote:

"Whether or not said information does or does
not "contribute" Or "support" illegal activity seams
clear to me.... But perhaps I Am missing something...
How can mere information be an act That involves
the Meteoritical society "contributing" to "illegal
Acts?" Information is information. It neither contributes
nor Prevents acts legal or illegal.

If I write an article verifying a gold artifact was found
in The tomb of thus & such a pharaoh in Egypt, am I
somehow "contributing to" the act of someone stealing
it, if, in fact, someone Did steal it?"

Some researchers argue that authenticating and publishing
about stolen artifacts and fossils definitely increases their
commercial value and, thus, rewards illegal activity. They
would argue that this also encourages the demand and trade
in stolen artifacts and ultimately results in more artifacts
being looted. One web page that takes this point of view is
"This is not the “Antiques Roadshow”" at:

http://www.public.asu.edu/~mesmith9/Antiquities.html


Of course, meteorites lack many of the attributes that
artifacts have. They are more equivalent to fossils in
the ethical problems that they pose.

Archaeologists and paleontologists have been having
extremely heated and often very contentious debates over
this issue for the last 30 to 40 years without any real consensus
being reached about whether studying and publishing on
stolen (looted) items increases their value and encourages
the illegal trade in them, which results in more artifacts or
fossils being looted. Much ink has been spilled and trees
sacrificed in debating this issue among archaeologists and
paleontologists without any real resolution. Some argue that
authenticating either looted or illegally exported fossils and
artifacts by studying and publishing on them increases their
value and makes them more sellable as commodities and in the
long run encourages the looting of more fossils and artifacts.
Other researchers argue that the gain in scientific knowledge that
would otherwise be lost outweighs these concerns. Some
journals will not publish any paper based on the study of
either artifacts or fossils that have been either looted, illegally
exported, or of uncertain provenience (also called provenance).
Other journals will publish papers based on the study of
either artifacts and fossils that have been either looted, illegally
exported, or of uncertain provenience. Also, when the looting /
export occurred relative to various laws being passed also
influences what is considered either ethical or unethical.
Among archaeologists and paleontologists, which side of
this issue is taken and too what degree, has become a personal
judgment call of either the individual researcher conducting
the research, people in charge of a specific organization, or
members of the editorial board of a specific journal. There is
no solid consensus and very diverse and often contentious
differences of opinions exist about this issue.

Of course, as I noted above meteorites differ significantly
from artifacts in the ethical and scientific issues that are
involved.

There are many papers and books that have been written
on this topic, which take very different positions concerning
this controversy. For example:

Brodie, N., 2005, The circumstances and consequences
of the British Library’s 1994 acquisition of some
Kharosthi manuscript fragments. Cultural Without
Context. no. 17 (Autumn).
http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/projects/iarc/culturewithoutcontext/issue17/brodie_british_library.htm

http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/projects/iarc/culturewithoutcontext/contents.htm


Matsuda, D., 1998, The ethics of archaeology, subsistence
digging, and artifact looting in Latin America: point muted
counterpoint. International Journal of Cultural Property.
vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 87-97
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=279296


Scarre, C., and G. Scarre, 2006, The ethics of archaeology:
philosophical perspectives on archaeological practice
Cambridge University Press, Chicago, Illinois.

Vitelli, K. D., and C. Colwell-Chanthaphon, 2006, Archaeological
ethics. Rowman Altamira.

Zimmerman, L. J., K. D. Vitelli, and J. Hollowell-Zimmer
Ethical issues in archaeology. Society for American
Archaeology Series. Rowman Altamira, 2003

The legal travels of fossils meteorites, rocks, minerals
(palaeo-or geo-specimen) by ICOM-NATHIST
http://www.ggwinter.de/icom/fossils_nathist.pdf


Some meteorite hunters might like the below papers.

Krowitz, E., 2003, The Battle for the Past. Cultural Without
Context. no. 13 (Autumn).
http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/projects/iarc/culturewithoutcontext/issue%2013/krowitz.htm

http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/projects/iarc/culturewithoutcontext/contents.htm


Krowitz, E., 2001, Could sale of fossils be the key to ending
theft? Nature. vol. 414, p. 485.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v414/n6863/full/414485b.html


Yours,

Paul H.

Saturday 5 June 2010

Rainwater Basins, Loess, and An Imaginary Younger Dryas Connection

Rainwater Basins, Loess, and An Imaginary Younger Dryas Connection

Saturday, June 5, 2010 1:09 PM
In " YD Crater hunt (impactites?)" at
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2010-June/065401.html
,
E.P. Grondine wrote:

"It turns out the backtrack intercept was already mapped
- the third image at http://cosmictusk.com
. Sorry, but
this image did not show on my computer.

One hypothesied large fragment impact point in lower
Michigan is shown. There should be another one not too
far distant."

There is one major problem with the Rainwater Basins,
as they are called, being associated with a terminal
Pleistocene impact. The oval basins that are exhibited
by the modern land surface are palimpsest landforms
created by a blanket of Middle, Late, and Holocene loesses
and paleosols draped evenly over the original Rainwater
Basins, which are developed in fluvial sediments. These
sediments are at least, Illinoian in age, Marine Isotope
Stage 6, approximately 130,000 to 196,000 BP old as a
Late Illinoian Sangamon Soil is developed in them. it
would be interesting to know the stratigraphic
relationship of the Late Illinoian Sangamon Soil to
these original basins as it would further constrain
their age.

Direct studies of these basins from cores and gully walls,
reveal that the original basins are buried by undisturbed
loess, which consists of an intact sequence, from bottom
to top, of Middle Wisconsin Gilman Canyon Formation,
Late Wisconsin Peoria Loess, Brady Soil, Holocene Bignell
Loess, and other interbedded and associated paleosols
(Zanner and Kuzila 2001, Zanner et al. 2007). The fact
that the original basins are blanketed by loess of the
Gilman Canyon Formation clearly demonstrates that the
original Rainwater Basins are greater than 30,000 to 40,000
years TL and C14 (Johnson et al. 2008; Wiley 2009). It is
quite obvious that the Rainwater Basins are far too old to
be associated with any hypothetical Younger Dryas event.
The presence of an intact and undisturbed blanket of Late
Wisconsin Peoria Loess, Middle Wisconsin loess of the
Gilman Canyon Formation, and associated paleosols
covering the original Rainwater Basins makes any
association between the them and the Younger Dryas a
complete and utter physical impossibility as extraterrestrial
impacts cannot create craters tens of thousands of years
before they happen.

Go look at:

Johnson, W. C., Willey, K. L., Mason, J. A., and May, D. W.,
2007, Stratigraphy and environmental reconstruction at
the Middle Wisconsinan Gilman Canyon Formation type
locality, Buzzard's Roost, southwestern Nebraska, U.S.A.
Quaternary Research. vol. 67, pp. 474-486.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2007.01.011


Wiley, K. L., 2009, Environmental and Pedogenic Change
in the Central Great Plains from the Middle Wisconsinan
to the Present. Unpublished PhD. dissertation, Department
of Geography, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
http://hdl.handle.net/1808/5590


Zanner, C. W., and M. S. Kuzila, 2001, Nebraska's Carolina
bays. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs,
v. 33, no. 6, pp. 438.

Zanner, C. W., W. Dort, Jr., and S. R. Bozarth, 2007,
Holocene Bognell Loess Chronology. Stratigraphy and
paleoenvironemntal reconstructions from within a loess
table, Southwestern, Nebraska. Geological Society of
America Abstracts with Programs, v. 39, no. 3, pp. 73.

Yours,

Paul H.

Thursday 3 June 2010

A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife

A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife

Thursday, June 3, 2010 6:04 AM

A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife
Astronomy Picture of the Day, June 2, 2010
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100602.html


"Did this meteor take a twisting path? No one is sure.
Considered opinions are solicited."

APOD: A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife (2010 Jun 02)
http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19638

http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19638&sid=651816506a79643b02a83499866b4cdb&start=25


Yours,

Paul H.

Tuesday 1 June 2010

Guatemala City Sinkhole was "OT- Non Meteorite Crater Photo"

Guatemala City Sinkhole was "OT- Non Meteorite Crater Photo"
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 9:07 PM

Ryan wrote:

“Sinkholes are usually formed by the collapse of a void
underground. Typically this happens in limestone/marble/
carbonate rocks (where caves are normally formed)
because rainwater + CO2 (dissolved in H20) creates a
weak (carbonic) acid that eats at the CaCO3 of the
carbonate rocks (as it seeps down cracks), and begins
creating a gap. As the gap gets larger, more water flows
in, accelerating the process, until, eventually, a cavity
too large to support itself is created an collapses, thus
creating a sink hole.”

After finally finding a geologic map, I found that Guatemala
City is underlain by limestone, which perfectly explains
the sinkhole. Still, this is a classic example of a sinkhole
and the hazards that they pose to people and structures
in urban areas.,

Some of the largest examples of sinkholes are in China
where entire cave systems have collapsed producing
sinkholes that are called “tiankengs”. These sinkholes
are 100s of meters in diameters in diameter and deep.

For example:

Tiankengs in the karst of China by Zhu Xuewen and
Chen Weihai in Speleogenesis and Evolution of Karst
Aquifers at:
http://www.speleogenesis.info/pdf/SG9/SG9_artId3290.pdf


Tiankengs of the world, outside China by Tony Waltham
Speleogenesis and Evolution of Karst Aquifers
http://www.speleogenesis.info/pdf/SG9/SG9_artId3291.pdf


Introduction to Karst Tiankeng in China
http://theculturedtraveler.com/Archives/Nov2005/Karst_Tiankeng.htm



Yours,

Paul H.

Mystery Object in Earth's Orbit

Mystery Object in Earth's Orbit

Tuesday, June 1, 2010 1:41 AM

Asteroid 2010 KQ: Probably a Rocket Body
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news168.html


"A small asteroid-like object has been discovered in an orbit about the Sun
that is so similar to the Earth's orbit that scientists strongly suspect it to be
a rocket stage that escaped years ago from the Earth-Moon system. The
object was discovered on May 16, 2010 by Richard Kowalski at the Catalina
Sky Survey, and has subsequently been observed by many observers,
including Bill Ryan (Magdalena Ridge Observatory) and Peter Birtwhistle
(England). It was given the asteroid designation 2010 KQ by the Minor
Planet Center in Cambridge Massachusetts, who identified its orbit as
being very similar to that of the Earth."

NASA: Is Approaching Space Object Artificial?
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/05/nasa-could-approaching-space-object-be-artificial.html


(2010 KQ) - JPL Small-Body Database Browser
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2010+KQ&orb=1


Yours,

Paul H

Non Meteorite Crater Photo- Guatemala

Non Meteorite Crater Photo
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 12:52 PM
*Jeff Kuyken* wrote:

"It's CNN and all over the web. It's real. If you look in the pic
you can see the emergency services barracades down the street.
Ohhh... and these"

This is absolutely amazing. Whatever caused this sinkhole is
considerably serious than either the " result of rainwater
saturating the ground" or leaking sewage lines mentioned in
some reports. Also, there is not any of the surface evidence
that should be present, if a landslide was involved. Whoever
can get down there to study it has a publishable peer-reviewed
paper in hand.

I can't think how to explain this.

Some pictures of this sinkhole are:

1. Giant sinkhole in Guatemala looks as if it goes to centre of
the Earth, National Post.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/05/31/giant-sinkhole-in-guatemala-looks-as-if-it-goes-to-centre-of-the-earth/

http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/4657053554_ccf901edb5_o.jpg?w=620


2. Guatemala SinkHole Raises Eyebrows (side view of sinkhole)
http://www.sevensidedcube.net/general/2010/guatemala-sinkhole-raises-eyebrows/

http://www.sevensidedcube.net/wp-content/uploads/guatemala-sinkhole-2.jpg


3. Guatemala Sinkhole: Giant Crater Opens in Guatemala City (another side view)
http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/05/31/guatemala-sinkhole-giant-crater-opens-in-guatemala-city/

http://www.longislandpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sinkhole.jpg


4. The original photographs can be found at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gobiernodeguatemala/4657053554/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gobiernodeguatemala/4657053554/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gobiernodeguatemala/4657053554/sizes/l/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gobiernodeguatemala/4656432029/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gobiernodeguatemala/4656432029/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gobiernodeguatemala/4656432029/sizes/l/


Yours,

Paul H.