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



Saturday 9 June 2018

Public wants NASA to Monitor Asteroids/objects that Could hit the Earth

Public wants NASA to Monitor Asteroids/objects that Could hit the Earth

NASA’s priorities appear to be out of whack with what the public wants
"The public thinks that we should have a space program that saves Earth."
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/06/nasas-priorities-appear-to-be-out-of-whack-with-what-the-public-wants/

One of the highest public support for NASA priorities is:
"..."monitor asteroids/objects that could hit the Earth" (62 percent)."
Majority of Americans Believe It Is Essential That the U.S. Remain
a Global Leader in Space Despite the increasing role of private
companies in space exploration, most believe NASA’s role is still
vital for future, Pew Research Center, June 6, 2018
http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/06/06/majority-of-americans-believe-it-is-essential-that-the-u-s-remain-a-global-leader-in-space/

Yours,

Paul H.

Saturday 2 June 2018

Aliens Are Real, But Humans Will Probably Kill Them All

Aliens Are Real, But Humans Will Probably Kill Them All

Yet another paper about extraterrestrial intelligence and
the Fermi paradox. It is interesting to see that the lack of
solid evidence does not inhibit writing about a subject.

Aliens Are Real, But Humans Will Probably Kill Them All, New Paper Says
By Brandon Specktor, Live Science, June 1, 2018
https://www.livescience.com/62715-first-in-last-out-fermi-paradox-answer.html


"First in, last out" solution to the Fermi Paradox Alexander Berezin
(Submitted on 20 Mar 2018 (v1), last revised 27 Mar 2018 (this version, v2)
https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.08425

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1803.08425.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Beware of Predatory Journals

Beware of Predatory Journals

I get two to four invitations a month from such dodgy journals.
They are titled as to either mimic real scientific journals or sound
like legitimate publications.

Thirteen ways to spot a ‘predatory journal’ (and why we
shouldn’t call them that) Larissa Shamseer and David
Moher have taken a close look at what it is that sets
dodgy journals apart from the rest, March 27, 2017
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/thirteen-ways-to-spot-a-predatory-journal-and-why-we-shouldnt-call-them-that

Rise in 'predatory publishers' has sparked a warning for
scientists and researchers By Chris McLoughlin, ABC News,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-13/rise-in-predatory-publishers-sparks-warning-for-researchers/9640950

Allen, M., 2018. Beware the Predatory Journal: It’s Not Just Fieldwork
That is Dangerous. SAA Archaeological Record. 18(3) pp. 6-9.
http://www.saa.org/Portals/0/SAA/Publications/thesaaarchrec/SAA_Record_May_2018%20FINAL%20WEB%205.10.18.pdf
http://onlinedigeditions.com/publication/?i=496953&view=contentsBrowser#{"issue_id":496953,"view":"contentsBrowser"}

Johal, J., Ward, R., Gielecki, J., Walocha, J., Natsis, K., Tubbs, R.S. and
Loukas, M., 2017. Beware of the predatory science journal: a potential
threat to the integrity of medical research. Clinical Anatomy. 30(6)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316992936_Beware_of_the_Predatory_Science_Journal_A_Potential_Threat_to_the_Integrity_of_Medical_Research

Beware! Academics are getting reeled in by scam journals
The number of predatory publishers is skyrocketing – and they’re
eager to pounce on unsuspecting scholars.
By Alex Gillis, University Affairs, January 17, 2017
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/beware-academics-getting-reeled-scam-journals/

Yours,

Paul H.

Saturday 26 May 2018

Martian meteorite clarifies origin of Martian geomorphology

Martian meteorite clarifies origin of Martian geomorphology

Ancient meteorite tells tales of Mars topography
by Anne M Stark, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, May 24, 2018
https://phys.org/news/2018-05-ancient-meteorite-tales-mars-topography.html

'Black Beauty' Meteorite Study Reveals the Secrets
of Mars' Strange Topography by Andrew LaSane,
Outer Places, May 24, 2018
https://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/18499-black-beauty-meteorite-mars


The open access paper is:

William S. Cassata, Benjamin E. Cohen, Darren F. Mark,
Reto Trappitsch, Carolyn A. Crow, and others, 2018,
Science Advances 23 May 2018: Vol. 4, no. 5, eaap8306
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aap8306
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/5/eaap8306

Yours,

Paul H.

Friday 25 May 2018

Ground-Dwelling Birds Survived End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction

Ground-Dwelling Birds Survived End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction

When the dinosaurs died, so did forests -- and tree-dwelling birds
Chicago Field Museum, May 24, 2018
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180524141736.htm

http://www.hastingstribune.com/asteroid-that-wiped-out-the-dinosaurs-also-shaped-the-evolution/article_001faecc-7f3f-588c-b23d-535d0d2b057b.html

The abstract of the paper is at:

Daniel J. Field, Antoine Bercovici, Jacob S. Berv, Regan Dunn,
David E. Fastovsky, Tyler R. Lyson, Vivi Vajda, and Jacques A.
Gauthier, 2018, Early Evolution of Modern Birds Structured
by Global Forest Collapse at the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction.
Current Biology, 2018; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.04.062
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982218305347?via%3Dihub


Related articles are:

Asteroid Impact That Wiped Out The Dinosaurs
Also Caused Abrupt Global Warming, All Things Considered
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/24/614105843/asteroid-impact-that-wipedout-the-dinosaurs-also-caused-abrupt-global-warming

Humanity's greatest challenge to save the world from catastrophic
asteroid impacts, By Megan Palin New Zealand Herald,
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12041405

Yours,

Paul H.

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

Wednesday 23 May 2018

OT - Watch Live as Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts lava

OT - Watch Live as Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts lava

Although this is off-topic, I found it quite fascinating.
CBC - Watch Live as Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts lava
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvS20fqTu34

Live Video: Kilauea Lava Flow Activity In Lower Puna Hawaii
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtihmXFWqGo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFZ3OPnXm9o

CNN
https://www.cnn.com/specials/live-video-1

Yours,

Paul H.

Friday 18 May 2018

Online Sudbury Impact Structure Publications

Online Sudbury Impact Structure Publications

A couple of publications about the Sudbury
Impact Structure that I found online are:

Anders, Denise, 2016, "The Sudbury Impact Structure -
New Insights Into the Origin and Emplacement
of the Basal Onaping Intrusion and the Parkin,
Trill and Foy Offset Dykes of the North Range"
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation
Repository. 4223. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/4223

Davidson, A., 1997. New developments in Grenville
Front Geology, Sudbury area, Ontario. Institute on
Lake Superior Geology, Field Trip Guidebook, 43 (part 3).
Geological Survey of Canada contribution no. 1997031
http://flash.lakeheadu.ca/~pnhollin/ILSGVolumes/ILSG_43_1997_pt3_Sudbury.CV.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday 6 May 2018

Mercury's Crust Argued to be Thin

Mercury's Crust Argued to be Thin

Mercury's thin, dense crust. Mercury's crust is thinner than
anyone thought, new mathematical calculations reveal
University of Arizona, Science Daily, April 27, 2018
https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/new-estimates-mercurys-thin-dense-crust

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180427100306.htm

Sori, M.M., 2018. A thin, dense crust for Mercury.
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 489, pp.92-99.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X18300955

Conclusions:

1. Topography on Mercury is not primarily compensated by Pratt isostasy.

2. Mercury's average crustal thickness is 26 ± 11 km, thinner than all
previous estimates.

Yours,

Paul H.

Tuesday 1 May 2018

Good News - Just Need To Worry About Asteroid and Comet Impacts

Good News - Just Need To Worry About Asteroid and Comet Impacts

Looks like we need to worry only about comets and asteroids. :-)

Earth's magnetic field is not about to reverse and
trigger global catastrophe. The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/earth-magnetic-field-flip-poles-why-not-facts-weak-a8329921.html

Earth's magnetic field is not about to reverse, study finds
Phys_Org, April 30, 2018
https://phys.org/news/2018-04-earth-magnetic-field-reverse.html

The paper is:

Maxwell Brown, Monika Korte, Richard Holme, Ingo
Wardinski and Sydney Gunnarson, 2018, Earth’s
magnetic field is probably not reversing.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
April 30, 2018. 201722110; published ahead of print April 30, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1722110115

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/04/24/1722110115

Yours,

Paul H.

Monday 23 April 2018

Diamonds from Meteorite Might Have Formed Inside a Long-lost Planet

Diamonds from Meteorite Might Have Formed Inside a Long-lost Planet

These diamonds from space formed inside a long-lost planet,
scientists say. By Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, April 17, 2018

The open access paper is:

Farhang Nabiei, James Badro, Teresa Dennenwaldt, Emad Oveisi,
Marco Cantoni, Cécile Hébert, Ahmed El Goresy, Jean-Alix Barrat,
and Philippe Gillet, 2018, A large planetary body inferred from
diamond inclusions in a ureilite meteorite Nature Communications
volume 9, Article number: 1327 (2018) doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03808-6

Supplementary Information at:

The reviewer's comments from peer-review are included.
It is chance to see how scientists conduct peer-review.

Reviewers comments at:

Yours,

Paul H.

Myths and Realities of Bayesian Chronological Modeling


Hamilton, W. D. and Krus, A. M. (2017) The myths
and realities of Bayesian chronological modeling
revealed. American Antiquity, (doi:10.1017/aaq.2017.57)

Paper (PDF):

Abstract:

Erratum:

Yours,

Paul H.

SETI, The Silurian Hypothesis, and Defining the Anthropocene

SETI, The Silurian Hypothesis, and Defining the Anthropocene

Was There a Civilization On Earth Before Humans? Adam Frank, The Atlantic, April 13, 2018
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/are-we-earths-only-civilization/557180/

Schmidt, G.A. and Frank, A., 2018. The Silurian hypothesis: would it be possible to detect an industrial civilization in the geological record? International Journal of Astrobiology, pp. 1-9.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.03748

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-astrobiology/article/silurian-hypothesis-would-it-be-possible-to-detect-an-industrial-civilization-in-the-geological-record/77818514AA6907750B8F4339F7C70EC6

There are two very good books that discuss what a technological civilization, ours, would leave behind in the archaeological – geological record.

They are;

Weisman, A., 2008. The world without us. Macmillan.
0312427905, 9780312427900

and

Zalasiewicz, J. and Freedman, K., 2009. The Earth after us: what legacy will humans leave in the rocks?.
Oxford University Press. 0199214980, 9780199214983

Dr. Zalasiewicz has written a papers about the Anthropocene and the signature and traces that would survive in the geologic record. Examples are:

Zalasiewicz, J., Waters, C.N. and Williams, M., 2014.Human bioturbation, and the subterranean landscape of the Anthropocene. Anthropocene, 6, pp. 3-9.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264241410_Human_bioturbation_and_the_subterranean_landscape_of_the_Anthropocene

and

Zalasiewicz, J., Williams, M., Waters, C.N., Barnosky, A.D. and Haff, P., 2014. The technofossil record of humans. The Anthropocene Review, 1(1), pp. 34-43.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264461538_The_technofossil_record_of_humans

Related papers can be found at:

Jan Zalasiewicz, University of Leicester, Department of Geology,
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jan_Zalasiewicz

Yours,

Paul H.

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

Tuesday 10 April 2018

Oldest magnetic record in the solar system discovered in a meteorite

Oldest magnetic record in the solar system discovered in a meteorite

Oldest magnetic record in the solar system discovered in a meteorite by Lisa Zyga, Phys.org, April 5, 2018
https://phys.org/news/2018-04-oldest-magnetic-solar-meteorite.html

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/march/meteorite-reveals-the-oldest-magnets-in-the-solar-system.html

The paper is:

Shah, J., Williams, W., Almeida, T.P., Nagy, L., Muxworthy, A.R., Kovács, A., Valdez-Grijalva, M.A., Fabian, K., Russell, S.S., Genge, M.J. and Dunin-Borkowski, R.E., 2018. The oldest magnetic record in our solar system identified using nanometric imaging and numerical modeling. Nature communications, 9(1), p. 1173.

Yours,

Paul H.

Tuesday 27 March 2018

Fossil Micrometeorites Suggest Cosmic Dust is Common in the Geological Record

Fossil Micrometeorites Suggest Cosmic Dust is Common in the Geological Record

Suttle, M.D. and Genge, M.J., 2017. Diagenetically altered fossil
micrometeorites suggest cosmic dust is common the geological
record. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 476, pp.132-142.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X17304399

"We report the discovery of fossil micrometeorites from Late
Cretaceous chalk." (Seaford Chalk Formation, United Kingdom)

"However, this study demonstrates that fossil, pseudomorphic
micrometeorites can be recognized and are likely common within
the geological record."

It also appears that micrometeorites and cosmic spherules of
various ages are common in Antarctic surficial and glacial deposits.

Genge, M.J., Davies, B., Suttle, M.D., van Ginneken, M. and Tomkins,
A.G., 2017. The mineralogy and petrology of I-type cosmic spherules:
Implications for their sources, origins and identification in sedimentary
rocks. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 218, pp. 167-200.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703717305495

Van Ginneken, M., Genge, M.J., Folco, L. and Harvey, R.P., 2016.
The weathering of micrometeorites from the Transantarctic
Mountains. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 179, pp. 1-31.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703716300011
https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/29482/9/1-s2.0-S0016703716300011-main.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293017461_The_weathering_of_micrometeorites_from_the_Transantarctic_Mountains
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthias_Van_Ginneken2

Although off-topic, the below is an interesting paper that is
currently open access.

T. C. Chamberlin, "Studies for Students:
The Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses,"
The Journal of Geology 5, no. 8
(Nov. - Dec., 1897): 837-848.
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/607980

Yours,

Paul H.

Monday 26 March 2018

New Type of Highly-vaporized Microtektite from the Transantartic, Mountains, Antartica

New Type of Highly-vaporized Microtektite from the Transantartic, Mountains, Antartic

Van Ginneken, M., Genge, M.J. and Harvey, R.P., 2018. A new type of highly-vaporized microtektite from the Transantarctic Mountains. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Volume 228, Pages 81–94.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703718301236

https://cosmochemistry-papers.com/2018/03/07/a-new-type-of-highly-vaporized-microtektite-from-the-transantarctic-mountains/

Older papers:

Folco, L., Bigazzi, G., D’Orazio, M. and Balestrieri, M.L., 2011.
Fission track age of Transantarctic Mountain microtektites.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 75(9), pp. 2356-2360.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703711000937

Folco, L., D'Orazio, M., Gemelli, M. and Rochette, P., 2016. Stretching out the Australasian microtektite strewn field in Victoria Land Transantarctic Mountains. Polar Science, 10(2), pp. 147-159.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187396521630007X

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297590920_Stretching_out_the_Australasian_microtektite_strewn_field_in_Victoria_Land_Transantarctic_Mountains

Folco, L., Glass, B.P., D'Orazio, M. and Rochette, P., 2010. A common volatilization trend in Transantarctic Mountain and Australasian microtektites: Implications for their formation model and parent crater location. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 293(1-2), pp. 135-139.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221954274_A_common_volatilization_trend_in_Transantarctic_Mountain_and_Australasian_microtektites_Implications_for_their_formation_model_and_parent_crater_location

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pierre_Rochette



Folco, L., D’Orazio, M., Tiepolo, M., Tonarini, S., Ottolini, L.,

Perchiazzi, N., Rochette, P. and Glass, B.P., 2009. Transantarctic Mountain microtektites: Geochemical affinity with Australasian microtektites.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73(12), pp. 3694-3722.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natale_Perchiazzi/publication/233851590_Microtektites_from_Victoria_Land_Transantarctic_Mountains/links/543e818c0cf2eaec07e64578/Microtektites-from-Victoria-Land-Transantarctic-Mountains.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natale_Perchiazzi

https://www.academia.edu/6351169/Transantarctic_Mountain_microtektites

van Ginneken, M., Suavet, C., Cordier, C., Folco, L., Rochette, P., Sonzogni, C. and Perchiazzi, N., 2012. Oxygen isotope composition of meteoritic ablation debris from the Transantarctic Mountains: Constraining the parent body and implications for the impact scenario. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 47(11), pp.1738-1747.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235779783_Oxygen_isotope_composition_of_meteoritic_ablation_debris_from_the_Transantarctic_Mountains_Constraining_the_parent_body_and_implications_for_the_impact_scenario

Yours,

Paul H.




Friday 23 March 2018

Small meteorite stolen from Science Museum of Virginia

Small meteorite stolen from Science Museum of Virginia
Associated Press, WHSV, March 19, 2018
http://www.whsv.com/content/news/Small-meteorite-stolen-from-Science-Museum-of-Virginia-477276443.html

Police investigating after meteorite stolen from Science Museum of Virginia, but a major heist it was not
By Ned Oliver, Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 16, 2018
http://www.richmond.com/news/local/crime/police-investigating-after-meteorite-stolen-from-science-museum-of-virginia/article_e3e2074a-b15e-5411-9ff1-d31cc63dce28.html

Meteorite stolen from exhibit at Science Museum of Virginia
By Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, March 16, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/meteorite-stolen-from-richmond-museum/2018/03/16/6f634460-2957-11e8-8478-892125e3f2ba_story.html

Science Museum of Virginia shares info about meteorites following last week’s theft
By Amy Lacey, WHSV, March 22, 2018
http://wric.com/2018/03/22/science-museum-of-virginia-shares-info-about-meteorite-stolen-last-week/

Yours,

Paul H.

Monday 12 March 2018

NASA Astronomers Finding More Near-Earth Asteroids Than Expected




NASA Astronomers Finding More Near-Earth Asteroids Than Expected

What Are Asteroids? NASA Astronomers Are Finding More Near-Earth Objects Than Ever Before, Newsweek March 3, 2018
http://www.newsweek.com/what-are-asteroids-nasa-astronomers-are-finding-more-near-earth-objects-ever-828360

Asteroid tracking program adds Google Cloud and AGI as tech partners Room-Eu, The Space Journal, March 5, 2018.
https://room.eu.com/news/asteroid-tracking-program-adds-google-cloud-and-agi-as-tech-partners

Yours,

Paul H.

The "Great Expectations Syndrome" and Mass Extinctions

The "Great Expectations Syndrome" and Mass Extinctions

Below is an interesting paper about mass extinctions.

Racki, G. 2012. The Alvarez impact theory of mass extinction; limits to its applicability and the "great expectations syndrome".
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 57 (4): 681-702.

https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app57/app20110058.pdf

https://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app20110058.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239739714_The_Alvarez_impact_theory_of_mass_extinction_limits_to_its_applicability_and_the_great_expectations_syndrome

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Grzegorz_Racki

http://agro.icm.edu.pl/agro/element/bwmeta1.element.agro-d1182c96-9ae1-48af-858c-a2f844a3d830/c/app20110058_681.pdf

another paper is:

Racki, G., 2015. Catastrophism and neocatastrophism versus cosmic hazard: Ager versus Alvarez; Cuvier versus Laplace.
Palaios, 30(6), pp. 432-434.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.894.7456&rep=rep1&type=pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279238673_Catastrophism_and_neocatastrophism_versus_cosmic_hazard_Ager_versus_Alvarez_Cuvier_versus_Laplace

Yours,

Paul H.

Tuesday 6 March 2018

How to Disagree

How to Disagree

Below is an interesting article about disagreeing with people.

Graham, P., 2008, How to Disagree
http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html

Also, there is:

Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graham%27s_Hierarchy_of_Disagreement.svg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:Other_versions/Graham%27s_Hierarchy_of_Disagreement

Graham's hierarchy of disagreement
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Graham_(programmer)#Graham's_hierarchy_of_disagreement

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Sunday 4 March 2018

Drumlin Formation Not Necessarily Evidence Of Catastrophic Event

Drumlin Formation Not Necessarily Evidence Of Catastrophic Event

People have selectively used the ideas of Dr. John Shaw to claim that they are undisputed indicators of catastrophic subglacial floods associated with extraterrestrial impacts. However, in their arguments, they completely either ignore over overlook any other research that strongly indicate that there is a lack of
any connection between catastrophic subglacial floods and drumlin formation. Some of this recent research is:
Observations from the surge-type glacier Múlajökull in Iceland underpin new modeling results that suggest the glacier's drumlins grow during quiet intervals of normal flow between glacial surges.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/a-new-model-of-drumlin-formation

Publications are:

Iverson, N.R., McCracken, R.G., Zoet, L.K., Benediktsson, Í.Ö., Schomacker, A., Johnson, M.D. and Woodard, J., 2017. A theoretical model of drumlin formation based on observations at Múlajökull, Iceland. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 122(12), pp. 2302-2323. DOI: 10.1002/2017JF004354
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017JF004354/abstract

Iverson, N.R., McCracken, R., Zoet, L., Benediktsson, Í., Schomacker, A., Johnson, M., Finlayson, A., Phillips, E. and Everest, J., 2016. A theoretical model of drumlin formation based on observations at Múlajökull, Iceland. Geophysical Research Abstracts. Vol. 18, EGU2016-2655, 2016
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2016/EGU2016-2655.pdf

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016EGUGA..18.2655I

Svante Björck and Per Sandgren, 2017, "The Beauty of Drumlins and the Mystery of their Genesis", May 12th 2017, A mini-symposium to honor the retirement of Per Möller, Department of Geology, Lund University.
http://www.geology.lu.se/sites/geology.lu.se/files/program_12_maj_drumlisymposiet_v2.pdf

https://www.geology.lu.se/event/symposium-the-beauty-of-drumlins-and-the-mystery-of-their-genesis

Yours,

Paul H.

Friday 2 March 2018

Urban Impactites



Urban Impactites

Meteorite Impactites in London: Irongate House, Houndsditch EC3
Ruth Siddall, Urban Geology in London No. 24, December 2014.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbrxs/Homepage/walks/IrongateHouse.pdf

For the fossil aficionados:

How to Spot the Fossils Hiding in Plain Sight
Traces of prehistoric life are everywhere.
by Jessica Leigh Hester, Atlas Obscura, Feb. 23, 2018
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/find-fossils-urban-geology

London Pavement Geology
http://londonpavementgeology.co.uk

Yours,

Paul H.

Monday 26 February 2018

BLM Resources for Rockhounds

BLM Resources for Rockhounds

BLM Resources for Rockhounds
San Diego Gem and Mineral Society
http://www.sdmg.org/sdmg-public/resources/blm-resources/

Rockhounds could hit rock bottom in 2018
by Lisbet Thoresen, The Pegmatite - December 2017 Page 13
http://www.sdmg.org/articles/201712/201712_Rockhounds_could_hit_rock_bottom_in_2018.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Wednesday 21 February 2018

Worst Misidentification Ever- FAKE! China's unique natural impact glass

Worst Misidentification Ever- FAKE China's unique natural impact glass

In " worst misidentification ever,"
Alfredo Petrov wrote on Tue, 23 Jan 2018,
This has got to be the worst, and funniest, in a schadenfreude sort of way, hoped-to-be-a-meteorite ever:
https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/gurugram-residents-store-poop-falling-from-aircraft-in-fridge-thinking-that-it-s-a-rare-mineral-338089.html

I am nominating for second or third worst misidentification of some obviously man-made glass as a Chinese impactite, the "Shui jing glass" featured in the below YouTube videos.

Exploring the mysteries of China's unique natural glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmzTXfwf9yA

Hongshan Culture & the mystery of China's unique natural glass 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6s9mWh7Xw

Hongshan Culture & the mystery of China's unique natural glass 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2CYggCtfFM

This material reminds me of the tables covered with varicolored glass blocks that I saw out in front of Arkansas rocks shops when I went fossil and rock collecting decades ago.

There is the below abstract:

A crackpot ejection theory about China's unique natural glass
Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 38 SE1.4 DOI:10.1530/endoabs.38.SE1.4
(Society for Endocrinology, British Endocrine Societies)
http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0038/ea0038SE1.4.htm

"I shall present evidence from the carvings that points to a unique post-impact lateral ejection of molten glass; and that this was later carved by grinding using impact diamond sand."

Yours,

Paul H.

Monday 19 February 2018

Field Work Problem? - Rodents are Chewing up Car Wires

Field Work Problem? - Rodents are Chewing up Car Wires

This might seem off-topic, but it might apply to vehicles used in the field for meteorite hunting.

Why Rodents are Chewing up Car Wires and What You Can Do to Prevent it.
https://www.wheels.ca/news/rodent-damage/

Every farmer knows that vermin nesting in a warm engine bay is yesterday’s news. What is troubling is the growing volume of online stories about rodents chewing up expensive wiring looms that keep Audis, Hondas, Toyotas and Volvos running.

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday 18 February 2018

Astronomers Explain why They don't Publish

Astronomers Explain why They don't Publish

Below are a couple of articles about how science works / doesn't work.

'Still working': Astronomers explain why they don't
publish. By Daniel Clery, Science News, Feb. 14, 201

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/still-working-astronomers-explain-why-they-don-t-publish

Meet the 'data thugs' out to expose shoddy and
questionable research By Adam Marcus, Ivan Oransky,
Retraction Watch, Science News, Feb. 14, 2018
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/meet-data-thugs-out-expose-shoddy-and-questionable-research

Yours,

Paul H.

Friday 16 February 2018

Neutron-Star Collision Reveals Origin of Gold (Great Video)

Neutron-Star Collision Reveals Origin of Gold (Great Video)

Neutron star collisions may have created most of the gold in the universe All that glitters is a neutron star collision.
By Mary Beth Griggs, Popular Science, October 18, 2017
https://www.popsci.com/neutron-star-gold

Neutron-Star Collision Reveals Origin of Gold, Astronomers Say
By Jesse Emspak, Live Science, October 17, 2017
https://www.livescience.com/60701-ligo-neutron-stars-heavy-metals-gold.html

Colliding Neutron Stars, Gravity Waves, and the Origin of the Heavy Elements, Jan. 24, 2018, video
Dr. Eliot Quataert (University of California, Berkeley)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6qWhOtRxtU

Yours,

Paul H.

Wednesday 14 February 2018

Machine Learning Framework for Prioritizing NEO Asteroid Deflection

Machine Learning Framework for Prioritizing NEO Asteroid Deflection

Nesvold, E.R., Greenberg, A., Erasmus, N., Van Heerden, E., Galache, J.L., Dahlstrom, E. and Marchis, F., 2018. The Deflector Selector: A Machine Learning Framework for Prioritizing Hazardous Object Deflection Technology Development. arXiv preprint arXiv:1802.00458.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.00458

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1802.00458.pdf

The Deflector Selector: A Machine Learning Framework for Prioritizing Deflection Technology Development, 2016
http://adsabs.harvard.edu//abs/2016DPS....4832911V

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday 11 February 2018

Sea-surface and Air Temperatures Started Cooling Before Start of Younger Dryas

Sea-surface and Air Temperatures Started Cooling Before Start of Younger Dryas

I assume that everyone has heard about the new "Journal of geology" papers as at Burn Paper
A new day at the Cosmic Tusk
https://cosmictusk.com/9483-2/

As far as the start of the Younger Dryas and the uncertainties of science are concerned, there is:

Levac, E., Sandercombe, S. and Chmura, G.L., 2018.
The Younger Dryas in palynological records from the northern Northwest Atlantic: Does the terrestrial record lag the marine and air records?.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 490, pp.269-279.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018217307514

"Sea-surface and air temperatures started cooling 250 and 110 years before the start of the YD, hence there is a 140 years delay between ocean and atmosphere."

and

"Vegetation reversals in N. America do not represent the start of cool conditions."

How can an impact, no matter how powerful, have started cooling Earth centuries before it happened?

This and a lot of other fine-grained inconsistencies constantly give me heretical doubts about what should be a quite appealing and simple explanation of puzzling Quaternary events.

Other papers with similar details is:

Emery-Wetherell, M.M., McHorse, B.K. and Byrd Davis, E., 2017. Spatially explicit analysis sheds new light on the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction in North America. Paleobiology, 43(4), pp. 642-655.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319333874_Spatially_explicit_analysis_sheds_new_light_on_the_Pleistocene_megafaunal_extinction_in_North_America

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Meaghan_Wetherell

Woodman, N. and Athfield, N.B., 2009. Post-Clovis survival of American mastodon in the southern Great Lakes region of North America. Quaternary Research, 72(3), pp. 59-363.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/625/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248574797_Post-Clovis_survival_of_American_Mastodon_in_the_southern_Great_Lakes_Region_of_North_America

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Neal_Woodman


Widga, C., Lengyel, S.N., Saunders, J., Hodgins, G., Walker, J.D. and Wanamaker, A.D., 2017. Late Pleistocene proboscidean population dynamics in the North American Midcontinent. Boreas, 46(4), pp. 772-782.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313800551_Late_Pleistocene_proboscidean_population_dynamics_in_the_North_American_Midcontinent

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chris_Widga

Besides, correlation does not imply causation.

Yours

Paul H.

Thursday 8 February 2018

Seafloor Data Point to Global Volcanism after Chicxulub Impact

Seafloor Data Point to Global Volcanism after Chicxulub Impact

The dinosaur-murdering asteroid maybe also triggered an underwater volcano meltdown. Why pick just one flavor of apocalypse? By Rachel Becker, The Verge, Feb 7, 2018
https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/7/16988112/asteroid-chicxulub-mass-extinction-dinosaurs-underwater-volcanoes-magma

Seafloor data point to global volcanism after Chicxulub meteor strike, University of Oregon, February 7, 2018
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uoo-sdp020518.php

https://around.uoregon.edu/content/one-two-punch-may-have-helped-deck-dinosaurs

The paper is;

Joseph S. Byrnes and Leif Karlstrom, 2018, Anomalous K-Pg-aged seafloor attributed to impact-induced mid-ocean ridge magmatism Science Advances 07 Feb 2018:
Vol. 4, no. 2, eaao2994 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao2994
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/2/eaao2994

Yours,

Paul H

Friday 2 February 2018