Unique “impactites” From the French Coast

EARTH: D-Day's legacy sands, Eureka Alert
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/agi-edl053111.php

D-Day's Legacy: Remnants of invasion linger in beach sands
Earth Magazine, American geological Institute
http://www.earthmagazine.org/earth/article/451-7db-5-1b

the paper is:

McBride, E. F., and M. D. Picard, 2011, Shrapnel in Omaha 
Beach Sand. The Sedimentary Record. vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 4-8.

PDF file at:
http://sepm.org/CM_Files/SedimentaryRecord/SedRecord%209-3.pdf
http://www.sepm.org/pages.aspx?pageid=37

The “Sedimentary Record” also has an article that discusses 
extraterretrial impactites. It is:

Horton, J. W., Jr., K. R. Evans, M. F. Thompson, and J. E. 
Warme, 2005, The Sedimentary Record of Meteorite 
Impacts: An SEPM Research Conference. The Sedimentary
Record. vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 4-8.

PDF file at:
http://www.sepm.org/CM_Files/SedimentaryRecord/sedrecord3.1.pdf
http://www.sepm.org/pages.aspx?pageid=37

Yours,

Paul H.

World's Most Complete, High-Resolution Topographic Map Revised

Best-Ever Topographic Map of Earth from NASA 
and Japan by Ray Sanders, October 18, 2011
http://www.universetoday.com/90017/best-ever-topographic-map-of-earth-from-nasa-and-japan/

The World's Most Complete, High-Res Topographic 
Map Gets an Update The view from above just 
grew clearer by Clay Dillow, Popular Science.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-10/worlds-most-complete-high-res-topographic-map-gets-update

NASA, Japan Release Improved Topographic Map 
of Earth, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California 
State University, October 17, 2011, 
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-320

ASTER - http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov

ASTER global digital elevation model at: 
https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/ or http://www.ersdac.or.jp/GDEM/E/4.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Meet the Man Who Wants to Mine the Moon

Meet the Man Who Wants to Mine the Moon
by Jeremy A. Kaplan, FoxNews, October 18, 2011
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/18/meet-man-who-wants-to-mine-moon/

Maybe he can bring home some moonrocks for 
collectors, while engaging in his lunar mining?

Yours,

Paul H.

"Faster Than the Speed of Light" Neutrinos Revisited

In "[meteorite-list] ebay restriction on international 
auctions of meteorites? and faster than the speed of 
light neutrinos!" at
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2011-September/079945.html
Phil wrote,

"Also, this is pretty cool:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/sep/22/faster-than-light-particles-neutrinos?newsfeed=true

Faster than light particles found, claim scientists
Particle physicists detect neutrinos travelling faster 
than light, a feat forbidden by Einstein's theory of 
special relativity"

And in the same thread at:
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2011-September/079946.html ,
Pete wrote:

"If there is anything to this story, then everything 
we ever knew about Physics will now go out the window. 
You gotta love it!!!! Cutting edge!!!!!!"

A recent article about the hypothesized "faster than 
light" neutrinos is:

Faster-than-Light Neutrino Puzzle Claimed Solved by 
Special Relativity, The Physics arXiv Blog, Oct. 14, 2011
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27260/

"The relativistic motion of clocks on board GPS satellites
exactly accounts for the superluminal effect, says physicist."

The paper is:

van Elburg, R. A. J., 2011, Times of Flight between a 
Source and a Detector observed from a GPS satelite.
arXiv:1110.2685v1 [physics.gen-ph], http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.2685

PDF file at http://arxiv.org/pdf/1110.2685v1

Yours,

Paul H.

Mild Temperature Carbonates in Allan Hills 84001

Wet and mild: Researchers take the temperature of 
Mars's past by Marcus Woo, October 12, 2011, 
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-10-mild-temperature-mars.html

Halevy, I., W. W. Fischer, and J. M. Eiler, 2011, 
Carbonates in the Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001 
formed at 18 ± 4 °C in a near-surface aqueous 
environment. Proceedings of the National Academy 
of Sciences. Published online before print October 
3, 2011, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1109444108
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/09/26/1109444108.abstract

Best wishes,

Paul H.

New Review Paper About Impact Ejecta

There is a new review paper about impact ejecta. It is:

Osinskia, G. R., L. L. Tornabenec, and R. A.F. Grieves, 2011, 
Impact ejecta emplacement on terrestrial planets. Earth 
and Planetary Science Letters. vol. 310, no. 3-4, pp. 167-181.
doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.08.012 
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X11004675

Their 2011 Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference 
(42nd) talk, “Impact ejecta emplacement on terrestrial 
planets “ is at:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/1866.pdf

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Outer Rim of Alamo Impact Crater, Nevada, Found ??

On October 9, 2011, in Session No. 69 Impact Cratering 
on the Earth, Moon, and Planets: Remote, Field, and 
Lab Studies. Minneapolis Convention Center: Room 
L100H-J, 1:30 PM-5:30 PM, geologists from Department 
of Geosciences, Idaho State University will argue that 
they have found the rim of the Alamo Impact crater.

It is:

Tapanila, L., J. Sheffield, C. Thomason, and R. Myers, 2011,
The Hiko Scarp: A Paleo-Topographic Boundary Marking 
the Outer Rim Fault of the Alamo Impact Carter. Geological 
Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 43, No. 5, p. 189
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2011AM/finalprogram/abstract_194077.htm
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2011AM/finalprogram/session_28353.htm

Yours,

Paul H.

Geology of the Sudbury Impact Layer, Minnesota, Guidebook

The PDF version of a field trip guidebook about the geology of 
the Sudbury Impact Layer within Minnesota is available online. 

It is:

Jirsa, M., and P. Fralick. 2010, Field Trip 4: Geology of the 
Gunflint Iron Formation and the Sudbury Impact Layer.
in J. D. Miller, ed., pp. 77-92. Field Guide to the Geology of 
Precambrian Iron Formations in the Western Lake Superior 
Region, Minnesota and Michigan. Guidebook no. 10-01,
Precambrian Research Center, University of Minnesota Duluth.

PDF file at:
http://www.d.umn.edu/prc/workshops/Guidebooks/BIF%20Guidebook4.pdf
and http://www.d.umn.edu/prc/workshops/Guidebooks.html

Also, there is:

Jirsa, M., and P. Fralick. 2011, The Sudbury Impact Layer in 
the Western Lake Superior Region. Geological Society of 
America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 43, No. 5, p. 187.
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2011AM/finalprogram/abstract_194565.htm
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2011AM/finalprogram/session_28353.htm

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Meteorite with coin embedded

In "Meteorite with coin embedded" at
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2011-October/080158.html
Yinan Wang wrote,

>Here is a funny little piece for laughs:
>
>"Iron meteorite with a coin marked Vittorio 
>Emanuel, Italia. Victor Emanuel II, first king of 
>a united Italy."
>
>http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/9904470

The auction description stated:

“Lot 265 Iron meteorite with coin embedded Iron meteorite w
Iron meteorite with a coin marked Vittorio Emanuel, Italia. 
Victor Emanuel II, first king of a united Italy. Size: 2 3/8" D 
Weight: 2oz Condition: Very good”

Yes, it is amusing the different types of objects, which get 
confused and mislabeled as a “meteorite.”

Judging from the coin and picture, this object is a tourist
curio that people visiting Mt. Vesuvius once could buy as 
a souvenir  of their visit. Back in the 1800s and as late as
the 1930s, a person visiting Mt. Vesuvius, if they had right
guide, could for a small fee give him or her a coin and 
the guide would with the aid of metal tongs snag a piece
of semi-molten lava from an active lava flow and embed 
a coin in it as you watched. My mother, when she was in 
Italy during the 1930s, paid her guide to create such a 
souvenir from a coin that she had and lava. My sister
currently has this curious souvenir.

An example of such souvenirs is illustrated in “Fascist 
coin embedded in lava” at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/cPGBddLLRTKFvEuerO6ulg

This practice is noted on page 104 of:

Scott, David Dundas, 1856, Italy, classical, historical and 
picturesque. Blackie and Son, London, England.

and page 47 of

Whiteside, James, 1849, Italy in the nineteenth century, 
Volume 3. Longman, Green, Longman, ands Roberts,
London, England.

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Missing Moon Rocks

Ark. Archivist Finds Missing Moon Rock, All Things 
Considered, NPR, September 26, 2011
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/26/140818261/ark-archivist-finds-missing-moon-rock

Arkansas' Missing Moon Rock Turns Up In Boxes 
Of Clinton's Memorabilia, by Mark Memmott, 
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/22/140706052/arkansas-missing-moon-rock-turns-up-in-boxes-of-clintons-memorabilia

Alaska man claims to have missing Apollo-era moon 
rock by Alex Sanz / KHOU 11 News
http://www.khou.com/news/Alaska-man-claims-to-have-missing-Apollo-era-moon-rock-124676664.html

Missing moon rock? Ex-governor had it: $5 million 
specimen was given to Colorado during Nixon administration 
Associated Press, 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37454964/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/missing-moon-rock-ex-governor-had-it/#.ToGykU_Swdo

Hawaiian Moon Rocks Found, Most Others Still Missing
by Alexis Madrigal, Wired Science
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/hawaiian-moon-rocks-found-most-others-still-missing/

Best wishes,

Paul H.

UARS Space junk likely hit Pacific, despite Internet hoax

Space junk likely hit Pacific, despite Internet hoax claiming 
sightings over Okotoks. Calgary Herald, September 24, 2011.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Space+junk+likely+Pacific+despite+Internet+hoax+claiming+sightings+over/5454317/story.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Acid Oceans, Not Asteroid Impacts, Contributed to Permian – Triassic Extinctions

Recent research indicates that acid oceans, not asteroid 
impacts, likely contributed to Earth’s worst mass extinction.

Go look at:

Ancient Acidic Ocean a Killer by Emily Sohn, Discovery News,
http://news.discovery.com/earth/ocean-acidification-110907.html

Acid oceans helped fuel mass extinction by Alexandra Witze, 
Science News, Sept 5, 2011, 
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/333995/title/Acid_oceans_helped_fuel_mass_extinction

The paper is:

Montenegro, A., P. Spence, K. J. Meissner, M. Eby, M. J. Melchin, and 
S. T. Johnston, 2011, Climate simulations of the Permian-Triassic 
boundary: Ocean acidification and the extinction event, 
Paleoceanography, 26, PA3207, doi:10.1029/2010PA002058.

Abstract at http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2011/2010PA002058.shtml

Dr. Peter Ward has published a book that discusses decades of
published research, which he has conducted into the Permian-
Triassic mass extinctions. It is:

Ward, P. D., 2008, Under a Green Sky. Harper-Collins Books.
242 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-163163-4

It is an excellent, entertaining, and thoughtful book about the 
Permian-Triassic mass extinctions that is well written for 
the lay public. I highly recommend it.

Related articled are:

Earth science: Lethal volcanism by Paul B. Wignall, Nature.
vol. 477, no. 7364, pp.  285–286.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7364/full/477285a.html

Large Igneous Provinces and Mass Extinctions by , David Bressan,
‎Scientific American, Sept. 16, 2011, 
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/history-of-geology/2011/09/16/large-igneous-provinces-and-mass-extinctions/

Best wishes,

Paul H.

"150,000 BP claim" or Geofact ??

In "150,000 BP claim" at:
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2011-September/079784.html
Robert wrote,

""150,000 yrs BP" isn't a typo. The reason I pointed to this website 
(http://61.128.162.70/stone/686/686.htm) and mentioned the 
supposed antiquity of the rock with the Big Dipper configuration 
was to underscore the widespread acceptance in China of this 
concept of the evolution of the position of the stars of the Big Dipper 
[as repeated in diagrams (A), (b), and (C)]. It's used in teaching 
materials, for example. Apparently, the presence of this concept 
has led to the accommodation of exaggerated claims of antiquity 
as well as more modest claims."

A geologist, who has seen various rounded pebbles and cobbles
with identical circular markings on them, I wonder what evidence
that they have for these markings as having been carved. The 
differential weathering of animal burrows in a sedimentary rock
can easily produce circular markings that are identical to the ones
that appear on the stone. The circles with connecting bar is what 
could easily be the eroded and differentially weathered cross-
section of  animals burrows (trace fossils), of which I have 
personally seen examples examples while doing field work.

One real possibility is that someone unfamiliar with how specific
types of trace fossils look like in cross-section on the eroded 
and differentially weathered surface of a stone has confused a
natural trace fossil with manmade carvings. If so, this would not
be the first time, that a nongeologist, when finding natural circular
patterns on a stone jumped to the incorrect conclusion that it
was manmade. For an example of how trace fossils have been 
confused by nongeologists with manmade artifacts can be seen 
in "Artifacts  or Geofacts? Alternative Interpretations of Items 
from the Gulf of Cambay" at;

http://members.cox.net/pyrophyllite/geofact.html

My impression of this alleged " 8000BC Big Dipper Petroglyph: 
Evolution of star positions" is that it very well might be an geofact
that has been misidentified as a petroglyph. 

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Free Guidebook About K-P (K-T) Boundary in Southeast United States

Dear Friends,

A 2007  Lafayette Geological Society guidebook, which discusses 
the Cretaceous – Paleogene (Tertiary) boundary within the 
southeastern United States is available for free as a PDF file. The 
guidebook is:

Week, B. E., 2007, K/T Boundary and Paleogene Stratigraphy
of Southwestern Alabama, Lafayette Geological Society Field 
Trip March 23-25, 2007. Lafayette Geological Society, 
Lafayette, Louisiana. 107 pp. 

The PDF file can be downloaded from:
http://lafayettegeologicalsociety.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LGSAlabamaFTGuidebook-March2007.pdf

The link to this fieldtrip guidebook is at:
http://lafayettegeologicalsociety.org/wp/?page_id=397

Yours,

Paul H.

New paper about Luizi impact structure, Congo

Dear friends,

There is a new paper about the Luizi impact structure in the Congo. 
It is;

Ferriere, L., F. G. R. Lubala, R. T. Osinski, and P. K. Kaseti, 
2011, The newly confirmed Luizi impact structure, 
Democratic Republic of Congo—Insights into central uplift 
formation and post-impact erosion. Geology. vol. 39, no. 9, 
pp. 851–854. doi:10.1130/G31990.1; 4
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/9/851
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/39/9/851.abstract

September 2011 Geology Highlights: new research posted 5 August
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-september-2011-geology-highlights-new-research-po-080911.aspx

"Because of its preservation state and the shape of the 
structure, with an inner ring, the Luizi crater also provides 
insights into the formation of mid-sized impact craters on 
Earth. Ferriere and colleagues estimate that the crater was 
made by the collision of a kilometer-wide asteroid with a 
speed of about 72,000 km per hour. However, based on 
their investigations, they can only say that the crater is 
younger than about 575 million years, the age of the rocks
that have been excavated."

Older articles are;

Collision With Huge Asteroid Caused 17 Kilometer 
Diameter Crater Found in Congo, August 9, 2011
http://crisisboom.com/2011/08/09/collision-with-huge-asteroid-caused-17-kilometer-diameter-crater-found-in-congo/

Huge Impact Crater Found in Remote Congo: Expedition 
confirms a meteor hit central Africa millions of years ago.
by Victoria Jaggard, National Geographic News, March 8, 2011

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110308-meteor-impact-crater-found-confirmed-congo-ferriere-science/
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/329/overrides/new-crater-found-dr-congo-luizi_32989_600x450.jpg

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Meteorites delivered Earth's gold

Young Earth was sprinkled with precious metals
physicsworld.com, Sept. 7, 2011‎
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/47116

Where does all the gold come from? University of 
Bristol, ‎Sept 7, 2011‎
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2011/7885.html

Meteorites delivered Earth's gold, by Leila Battison
BBC News, Sept 8, 2011‎
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14827624

The paper is:

Willbold, M., T. Elliott, and S. Moorbath, 2011, The 
tungsten isotopic composition of the Earth’s mantle 
before the terminal bombardment. Nature. vol. 477,
no. 7363, pp. 195-198. DOI: 10.1038/nature10399
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v477/n7363/full/nature10399.html

A related paper is:

Marty, B., and A. Meibom, 2007, Noble gas signature 
of the Late Heavy  Bombardment in the Earth’s
atmosphere. eEarth. vol. 2, pp. 43–49.

PDF file at:
http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/33/07/83/PDF/ee-2-43-2007.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Dinosaur Bone-Bearing K-P Tsunami Deposits, La Popa Basin, Mexico

Dear List Members,

A recent paper has an interesting description and
discussion of K-P tsunami deposits that contain 
dinosaur bones and impact ejecta. These deposits 
are part of the Delgado Sandstone Member, which 
is exposed in the La Popa Basin in north-eastern Mexico.

The paper is:

Schulte, P., J. Smit, A. Deutsch, T. Salge, A. Friese, and K. 
Beichel, 2011, Tsunami backwash deposits with Chicxulub 
impact ejecta and dinosaur remains from the Cretaceous–
Palaeogene boundary in the La Popa Basin, Mexico. Article 
first published online: 8 AUG 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01274.x
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01274.x/abstract

A related paper is:

Lawton, T. F., K. W. Shipley, J. L. Aschoff, K. A. Giles and
F. J. Vega, 2005, Basinward transport of Chicxulub 
ejecta by tsunami-induced backflow, La Popa basin, 
northeastern Mexico, and its implications for 
distribution of impact-related deposits flanking the 
Gulf of Mexico. Geology. vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 81-84.    
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/33/2/81.abstract

and

Lawton, T. F., F. J. Vega, K. A. Giles, and C. Rosales-
Domínguez, 2001, Stratigraphy and origin of the La Popa 
Basin, Nuevo León and Coahuila, Mexico, in C. Bartolini, 
R. T. Buffler, and A. Cantú-Chapa, eds., pp. 219-240, The 
western Gulf of Mexico Basin: Tectonics, sedimentary 
basins, and petroleum systems. Memoir no. 75, American
Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Yours,

Paul H.

Search for Irish meteorite in progress

Search for Irish meteorite worth weight in gold, Belfast
Telegraph, Belfast, ireland, September 1, 2011,
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/search-for-irish-meteorite-worth-weight-in-gold-16043949.html

"Preliminary analysis suggests it may have landed in 
Co Sligo or elsewhere in the west, Mr Moore said."

"The Republic of Ireland's National Museum is offering a 
cash reward to anyone who finds the meteorite that was 
spotted last week."

Search for meteorite in west of Ireland, RTE News,
August 31, 2011
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0831/meteor.html

"An appeal has been launched for help in locating a meteorite 
after a fireball was seen blazing across Irish skies last week."

Meteor hunt for Irish stargazers, BBC News, Aug. 31, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14733385

Astronomy Ireland, Fireball Reports
http://www.astronomy.ie/fireball.php

National Museum of Ireland
http://www.museum.ie/en/intro/natural-history.aspx
http://www.museum.ie/en/about-us.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Ireland

Best wishes,

Paul H.