Another Online PDF of Paper About Trinitite (and URL Correction)

Another paper about trinitite, which can be downloaded
as a PDF file is:

Pittauerová, D., W. M. Kolb, William, and H. W. 
Fischer, 2010, Radioactivity in Trinitite - a review 
and new measurements. Proceedings of Third 
European IRPA Congress 2010 June 14−16, 
Helsinki, Finland.

http://www.irpa2010europe.com/proceedings/P16/P16-31.pdf
http://www.irpa2010europe.com/proceedings/P16.htm

The correct URL for the PDF file of “Trinitite 
Varieties (Green, Red, Black & Pearls)” by Steven 
L. Kay, Nuclearon is:

http://www.radiochemistry.org/documents/pdf/trinitite_nuclearon_061608.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

New Paper on Trinitite in “Geology Today”

A new summary paper about trinitite was published in late 2010 in “Geology Today.” The paper is:

Eby, N., R. Hermes, N. Charnley, and J. A. Smoliga, 2010a, 
Trinitite—the atomic rock. vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 180–185.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2451.2010.00767.x/abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gto.2010.26.issue-5/issuetoc

One conclusion is that much of the surface layer was not created by the melting of the ground surface as previously thought. Instead, they state that further work has shown that much of the trinitite had been entrained in the rising cloud of gasses and subsequently rained down onto the surface as molten droplets. A lot of this material still retains bead and dumbbell shapes
that were formed as the molten material was transported by the gas cloud. They note that a significant amount of these beads and dumbbells was blown downwind and accumulated over a fairly wide area. These beads and dumbells are now found commonly concentrated on the surface of anthills and sometimes called “anthill trinitite.”

Among many other things, they found that the red trinitite, which color results from the presence of copper, contains metallic chondrules that contain iron and lead. They conclude that the metallic chondrules “are melted bits of the first atomic bomb and the surrounding support structures—history encased in glass.”

Another paper is:

Fahey, A. J., C. J. Zeissler, D. E. Newbury, J. Davis, and R. M. 
Lindstrom, 2010, Postdetonation nuclear debris for attribution.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. vol. 107,
no. 47, pp. 20207-20212.
http://www.pnas.org/content/107/47/20207.abstract

Some online material about trinitite are:

Trinitite – the Atomic Rock by N. Eby and others 
http://faculty.uml.edu/Nelson_Eby/Research/Trinitite/NE_SE%20GSA%20trinitite%20presentation.pdf

Trinitite Varieties (Green, Red, Black & Pearls) by Steven L. Kay, Nuclearon.
http://www.radiochemistry.org/documents/pdf/trinitite_nuclearon_061608.pdf .

Trinitite, Radioactivity of trinitite after 62 years by
Daniela Pittauerova
http://www.radioaktivitaet.uni-bremen.de/Seminar/Trinitite.pdf

Eby, N., R. Hermes, N. Charnley, and J. A. Smoliga, 2010b, 
Trinitite – the Atomic Rock. Geological Society of America 
Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 42, No. 1, p. 77
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2010NE/finalprogram/abstract_169905.htm

Yours,

Paul H.

The Smoking Gun For The Permian Extinction Reportedly Found

Volcanic eruptions in Canada 'caused largest mass 
extinction' 250m years ago by Graham Smith, Daily Mail
January 24, 2011‎
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1349981/Volcanic-eruptions-Canada-caused-largest-mass-extinction-250m-years-ago.html

(Note: the headline badly garbles what the paper concludes.)

Calgary researchers link mass extinction to volcanic ash
Calgary Sun, Jenna McMurray , ‎Jan. 23, 2011‎
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2011/01/23/17004071.html

Evidence in Canadian Arctic points to volcanoes as 
cause of massive extinction, Mark Iype and Lea Storry, 
Postmedia News, January 23, 2011
http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Evidence+Canadian+Arctic+points+volcanoes+cause+massive+extinction/4152438/story.html

Massive volcanic eruptions + coal fires = the Great Dying
By John Timmer.
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/01/massive-volcanic-eruptions-coal-fires-the-great-dying.ars

The paper is:

Grasby, S. E., H. Sanei, and B. Beauchamp, 2011, 
Catastrophic dispersion of coal fly ash into oceans 
during the latest Permian extinction. Nature 
geoscience. Published online 23 January 2011
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ngeo1069.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Meteoritic trigger for Global Mass Wasting During the Middle Ordovician Disputed

The association of widespread mass wasting along 
Middle Ordovician continental margins with a period
of high meteorite influx is disputed in a recent paper
in Gondwana Research. The paper is:

Meinhold, G., A. Arslan, O. Lehnert, and G. M. Stampfli,
2011, Global mass wasting during the Middle Ordovician: 
Meteoritic trigger or plate-tectonic environment?
Gondwana Research. vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 535-541.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2010.07.001
http://www.casp.cam.ac.uk/publications/publication-20100603
http://www.casp.cam.ac.uk/people/guido-meinhold

Yours,

Paul H.

Did meteorites preordain left-loving life?

Nature.com (blog), ‎Jan 19, 2011‎
http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2011/01/did_meteorites_preordain_lifes.html

Wider range of asteroids could have made
life's ingredients, The Times, Jan 19, 2011‎
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/life-came-from-outer-space-says-nasa/story-e6frg6so-1225991941243

The paper is:

Glavin, D. P., M. P. Callahan, J. P. Dworkin, and
Jamie E. Elsila, 2010, The effects of parent 
body processes on amino acids in 
carbonaceous chondrites. Meteoritics & 
Planetary Science. vol. 45, no.12, pp. 1948–1972.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01132.x/abstract

Yours,

Paul H.

Book Review of "Incoming" (Book About Why We Should love Meteorites)

Incoming! Or, Why We Should Stop Worrying and 
Learn to Love the Meteorite by Ted Nield. A study 
of the science, history and cultural uses of meteorites 
impresses Tim Radford by Tad Radford, The Guardian
January 22, 2011, 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/22/incoming-worrying-meteorite-ted-nield

Meteorite strikes 'good for life on Earth' - Interview
with Dr. Ted Nield.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9360000/9360202.stm

Why we should stop worrying and learn to love 
the Meteorite!??
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=21394.0

Yours,

Paul H. 

China's first confirmed crater stirs debate (Xiuyan Impact Crater)

China's first confirmed crater stirs debate
by Zhou Jing, China.org.cn, January 20, 2011
http://www.china.org.cn/china/2011-01/20/content_21784587.htm

Some papers about this crater are:

Chen, M., 2008, Impact-derived features of the 
Xiuyan meteorite crater. Chinese Science Bulletin.
vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 392-395.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/9rh444147628h75w/

PDF file at 
http://www.scichina.com:8080/kxtbe/fileup/PDF/08ky0392.pdf
and http://www.scichina.com:8080/kxtbe/EN/abstract/abstract317414.shtml

Chen, M., W. Xiaoa and X. Xiea, 2010, Coesite 
and quartz characteristic of crystallization 
from shock-produced silica melt in the Xiuyan 
crater. Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
vol. 297, no. 1-2, pp. 306-314.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.06.032

Chen, M., W. Xiao, X. Xie, D. Tan and Y. Cao, 2010,
Xiuyan crater, China: Impact origin confirmed.
Chinese Science Bulletin. vol. 55, no. 17, pp. 1777-1781.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/e113713t58060086/

Yours,

Paul H.

Craterwrong Reported From Dubai

Did a meteorite crash near Festival City last night?
Huge craters in road from Al Badia to DFC stun motorists
by Joseph George, Emirates 24/7 January 20, 2011
http://www.emirates247.com/news/did-a-meteorite-crash-near-festival-city-last-night-2011-01-20-1.344718

http://cdn-wac.emirates247.com/polopoly_fs/1.344719.1295502351!/image/1955852316.jpg

Unfortunately, this is just an ordinary "sinkhole" created
by sediment being eroded out from beneath the asphalt
pavement by piping.

Best wishes,

Paul H.

People Searching For Meteorites in Ireland

Search on for 'huge' meteorite: The search is on for fragments
of a meteorite which blazed across Irish skies yesterday evening
RTE News, Ireland, January 19, 2011
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0119/meteorite.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Paleogene Dinosaurs ???

A new paper about the direct dating of dinosaur bones,
has been published online in advanced of its publication 
in “Geology.” It is:

Fassett, J. E., L. M. Heaman, and A. Simonetti, 2011, Direct 
U-Pb dating of Cretaceous and Paleocene dinosaur bones, 
San Juan Basin, New Mexico. Geology, first published 
on January 5, 2011,  doi:10.1130/G31466.1

http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2011/01/05/G31466.1.abstract
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/current

Based on such dating, they argue that within the area of what
is now New Mexico, dinosaurs survived the K-P impact and
became extinct within the Paleogene.

Yours,

Paul Heinrich

New Paper About Kamil Crater, Egypt

A paper about the rayed Kamil Crater in Egypt has 
been published online in advanced of its publication 
in “Geology.” It is:

Folco, L., M. Di Martino, A. El Barkooky, M. D'Orazio, A. 
Lethy, S. Urbini, I. Nicolosi, M. Hafez, C. Cordier, M. van 
Ginneken, A. Zeoli, A. M. Radwan, S. El Khrepy, M. El 
Gabry, M. Gomaa, A. A. Barakat, R. Serra, and M. El 
Sharkawi, 2011, Kamil Crater (Egypt): Ground truth 
for small-scale meteorite impacts on Earth. Geology
published online January 5, 2011, doi: 10.1130/G31624.1

http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2011/01/05/G31624.1.abstract
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/recent

The Kamil Crater provides a example of what a small,
45 meter in diameter, impact crater looks like before 
it is modified by erosion and information about the 
mechanics of meter-scale impacts. It also indicates
that iron meteorites with masses of tens of tons may 
be able to penetrate the atmosphere.

Yours,

Paul H.