Mysterious patches of glassy rock across Atacama Desert- Pica Glass and Atacamaites, Chile

Mysterious patches of glassy rock across Atacama Desert- Pica Glass and Atacamaites, Chile

In Mysterious patches of glassy rock across Atacama Desert,
https://www.mail-archive.com/meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com/msg131785.html

Robert Verish asked:
>This story caused a big splash on the Internet back in late-2021, but I'm still looking for a published paper.
>Has anyone heard anything more about this speculated comet impact?

Here is a follow-up article (dated Nov. 8, 2021) regarding a reported finding of impact-melt glass from a suspect "comet impact in the Atacama Desert".
https://www.sci.news/space/atacama-desert-comet-10247.html

Here is the original CNN article:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/03/world/atacama-desert-glass-comet-scn/index.html

Below are some papers:

Gattacceca, J., Devouard, B., Barrat, J.A., Rochette, P., Balestrieri, M.L., Bigazzi, G., Ménard, G., Moustard, F., Dos Santos, E.,
Scorzelli, R. and Valenzuela, M., 2021. A 650 km2 Miocene strewnfield of splash-form impact glasses in the Atacama Desert,
Chile. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 569, p.117049

Koeberl, C., Crósta, A.P. and Schulz, T., 2022, March. Geochemistry, Highly Siderophile Elements, and Re-Os Isotope Signatures of
Impact Glasses from the Atacama Desert, Chile. In 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (Vol. 2678, p. 2616).
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/2616.pdf

Roperch, P., Gattacceca, J., Valenzuela, M., Devouard, B., Lorand, J.P., Arriagada, C., Rochette, P., Latorre, C. and Beck, P., 2017.
Surface vitrification caused by natural fires in Late Pleistocene wetlands of the Atacama Desert. Earth and Planetary Science
Letters, 469, pp.15-26.
https://hal.science/hal-02889687/file/Pica_Glass_Paleomag_data.pdf


Schultz, P.H., Harris, R.S., Perroud, S., Blanco, N. and Tomlinson, A.J., 2022. Widespread glasses generated by cometary fireballs
during the late Pleistocene in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Geology, 50(2), pp.205-209. open access
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/50/2/205/609354/Widespread-glasses-generated-by-cometary-fireballs


Yours,

Paul H.

Pseudocoprolites, Miocene, Washington State

Pseudocoprolites, Miocene, Washington State

Pseudo-poo! All that glitters isn’t fecal gold
by Andrew Farke, PLOS Blogs, July 23, 2014
http://blogs.plos.org/paleo/2014/07/23/pseudo-poo-glitters-isnt-fecal-gold/

The papers that this article cites are:

Mustoe, G. E., 2001, Enigmatic origin of ferruginous “coprolites”:
Evidence from the Miocene Wilkes Formation, southwestern
Washington. Geological Society of America Bulletin vol. 113
no. 6, pp. 673–681.
http://bulletin.geoscienceworld.org/content/113/6/673

Seilacher, A., C. Marshall, H. C. W. Skinner, and T. Tsuihiji,
2001, A fresh look at sideritic “coprolites.” Paleobiology.
vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 7–13.
http://paleobiol.geoscienceworld.org/content/27/1/7.abstract

Spencer, P. K., 1993, The “coprolites” that aren’t: The
straight poop on specimens from the Miocene of
southwestern Washington State. Ichnos. vol. 2, no. 2,
pp. 231–236.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10420949309380097

Yancey, T. E., G. E. Mustoe, E. B. Leopold, and M. T.
Heizler, 2013, Mudflow disturbance in latest Miocene
forests in Lewis County, Washington. PALAIOS.
vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 343–358.
http://palaios.sepmonline.org/content/28/6/343.short

A wikipedi image is "File:Pseudocoprolite.jpg" at
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudocoprolite.jpg
Yours,

Paul H.

New Species Of Miocene Hornless Rhino In Thailand

New Species Of Miocene Hornless Rhino In Thailand

Fossils Reveal New Species of Hornless Rhino in Thailand, Nature World News, July 2, 2013
http://www.naturewor...no-thailand.htm

A new species of the hornless rhino found from the Late Miocene of Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Phys.org, http://phys.org/news...te-miocene.html

the paper is:
Deng, T., R. Hanta, and P. Jintasakul, 2013, A new species of Aceratherium (Rhinocerotidae,
Perissodactyla) from the late Miocene of Nakhon Ratchasima, northeastern Thailand. Journal of
Vertebrate Paleontology. vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 977-985.
http://www.tandfonli...634.2013.748058

Yours,

Paul H.

Finding Fossilized Insects in the Mojave

Finding Fossilized Insects in the Mojave

Finding Fossilized Insects in the Mojave
by Farrall S. Smith, Desert USA,
http://www.desertusa.com/animals/find-fossil-insects.html

Other online material about the Barstow fossil insects.

Fossil Insects And Vertebrates On The Mojave Desert, California,
http://inyo.coffeecup.com/site/barstowfossils/barstowfossils.html

Fossilized Insect Nodule Project Overview (A brief look
at the fossilized insects found within Calcium carbonate
rock nodules found in the Mojave Desert.) by Farrall S. Smith
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31877812/Fossilized-Insect-Nodule-Project-Overview

Miller, K.B. and S.H. Lubkin, 2001, Calicovatellus
petrodytes Miller and Lubkin, a new genus and species
of primitive vatelline diving beetle (Coleoptera:
Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Vatellini) from the
Miocene Barstow Formation, Southern California,
USA. Journal of Paleontology. vol. 75, pp. 890-894.

PDF file at
http://whitinglab.byu.edu/Portals/61/docs/KellyBMiller/KM-12_calicovatellus.pdf

Link at
http://whitinglab.byu.edu/Personnel/FormerLabPersonnel/KellyBMiller/Publications.aspx

Ostracod fossils from the Barstow Formation location:

Wilkinson, I. P., P. R. Wilby, M. Williams, D. J. Siveter,
A. A. Page, L. Leggitt. and D. A. Riley, 2010, Exceptionally
preserved ostracodes from a Middle Miocene
palaeolake, California, USA. Journal of the Geological
Society. vol. 167, no. 4, pp. 817-825. PDF file at
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/10079/1/Miocene_Ostracod_from_Barstow.pdf

Best wishes,

Paul H.
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