Globally distributed iridium layer preserved within the Chicxulub impact structure

Globally distributed iridium layer preserved within the Chicxulub impact structure

Iridium in undersea crater confirms asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs
Hamish Johnston, Physics World, February 24, 2021,
https://physicsworld.com/a/iridium-in-undersea-crater-confirms-asteroid-wiped-out-the-dinosaurs/

The paper is:

Goderis, S., Sato, H., Ferriere, L, et al. 2021, Globally distributed iridium layer preserved within the Chicxulub impact structure
Science Advances 24 Feb 2021: Vol. 7, no. 9, eabe3647
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/7/9/eabe3647

There are arguments that seismic waves from the Chicxulub impact did a superfrack job on the Deccan flood basalts and magnified their eruptions. See-

Richards, M.A., Alvarez, W., Self, S., Karlstrom, L., Renne, P.R.,
Manga, M., Sprain, C.J., Smit, J., Vanderkluysen, L. and Gibson,
S.A., 2015. Triggering of the largest Deccan eruptions by the impact.
Geological Society of America Bulletin, 127(11-12), pp.1507-1520.
PDF at http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/3289/1/Gibson%20bul%20gsa.pdf

PDF at http://pages.uoregon.edu/leif/resources/papers/GSAB_2015_Richards.pdf

Abstract at
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-abstract/127/1112/1507/126064

Some commentary on flood basalts and mass extinctions:

Ernst, R.E. and Youbi, N., 2017. How Large Igneous Provinces affect global climate, sometimes cause mass extinctions, and represent natural markers in the geological record. 

Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 478, pp.30-52.

PDF link, Ernst and Youbi (2017), at bottom of page at
http://www.largeigneousprovinces.org/downloads

PDF at
http://www.largeigneousprovinces.org/sites/default/files2/Ernst%20and%20Youbi%202017%20PPP.PDF

Abstract at
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018217302857

Yours,

Paul H.

NASA Lands the Perseverance Rover on Mars

NASA Lands the Perseverance Rover on Mars

The science mission will launch the first drone to fly on another planet, attempt making oxygen
in space, and search for signs of ancient life.
Sarah Scoles, Wired, February 18, 2021
https://www.wired.com/story/nasa-lands-the-perseverance-rover-on-mars/

NASA's Perseverance rover landing on Mars, PBS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A_j8X2Wgoo

Yours,
Paul H.

Fun new Paper on finding Meteorites with Drones- Open Source References

Fun new Paper on finding Meteorites with Drones- Open Source References

Marc D. (JSC-XI211) on Mon, 08 Feb 2021 wrote:
Presumably of interest...
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/maps.13593

For those people who lack subscription access:
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.13852.pdf

https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.13852

The full citation is:
Anderson, S., Towner, M., Bland, P., Haikings, C.,
Volante, W., Sansom, E., Devillepoix, H., Shober,
P., Hartig, B., Cupak, M. and Jansen‐Sturgeon,
T., 2020. Machine learning for semi‐automated
Meteorite recovery. Meteoritics & Planetary Science.
First published: 01 December 2020

Yours,

Paul H.

Astronomers: A comet fragment, not an asteroid, killed off the dinosaurs

Astronomers: A comet fragment, not an asteroid, killed off the dinosaurs
Jupiter's gravity pushed comet toward Sun; comet was ripped apart by
tidal forces. By Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, February 15, 2021
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/astronomers-a-comet-fragment-not-an-asteroid-killed-off-the-dinosaurs

The open access paper is:

Siraj, A. and Loeb, A., Breakup of a Long-Period Comet
as the Origin of the Dinosaur Extinction.
Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 3803 (2021)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82320-2

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/SLD.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Quasicyrstals, Khatyrka meteorite , and Kamchatka

Quasicyrstals, Khatyrka meteorite , and Kamchatka

Hu, J., Asimow, P.D., Ma, C. and Bindi, L., 2020.
First synthesis of a unique icosahedral phase from
the Khatyrka meteorite by shock-recovery experiment. IUCrJ, 7(3).
https://journals.iucr.org/m/issues/2020/03/00/lt5026/index.html

Quanta Magazine articles
https://www.quantamagazine.org/quasicrystal-meteorite-poses-age-old-questions-20140613/

https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-quasicrystals-shocking-origin-20160708/

Bindi, L., Dmitrienko, V.E. and Steinhardt, P.J., 2020.
Are quasicrystals really so rare in the Universe?.
American Mineralogist, 105(8), pp.1121-1125.
http://minsocam.org/MSA/Ammin/AM_Preprints/7519BindiPreprint.pdf

Bindi, L., Steinhardt, P.J., Yao, N. and Lu, P.J., 2009.
Natural quasicrystals. science, 324(5932), pp.1306-1309.
https://www.unifi.it/upload/sub/notizie/naturalquasicrystals_science.pdf

Steinhardt, P.J. and Bindi, L., 2011. Once upon a time in
Kamchatka: the search for natural quasicrystals. Philosophical
Magazine, 91(19-21), pp.2421-2426.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233447372_Once_upon_a_time_in_Kamchatka_The_search_for_natural_quasicrystals

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luca_Bindi/3

Yours,

Paul H.

What Dust From Space Tells Us About Ourselves

What Dust From Space Tells Us About Ourselves

What Dust From Space Tells Us About Ourselves
Micrometeorites land on every corner of Earth.
Matthew Genge is using these shards of
interplanetary space to understand Earth and its
place in the solar system. Quanta Magazine
https://www.quantamagazine.org/matt-genge-uses-dust-from-space-to-tell-the-story-of-the-solar-system-20210204/

Yours,

Paul H.

How to hunt for meteorites// Chemists create and capture Einsteinium

How to hunt for meteorites,

Post by Kelly WhittAstronomy Essentials, EarthSky, February 4, 2021
https://earthsky.org/human-world/how-to-find-a-meteorite-where-to-hunt-and-identification-tips

An unrelated science article is:

Chemists create and capture Einsteinium, the elusive 99th element 

By Harry Baker, LiveScience
https://www.livescience.com/einsteinium-experiments-uncover-chemical-properties.html

Yours,

Paul H.