Preliminary Evaluation of a Proposed “Younger Dryas Impact” Crater

Preliminary Evaluation of a Proposed “Younger Dryas Impact” Crater

Using Google Earth terrain maps, Mr. Thomas Lee Elifritz found
what he speculates might be impact crater of the “12,900 BP
Younger Dryas Clovis cometary ice sheet impact” (Anonymous
2011, Elifritz 2009a, 2009b). His interpretation is based solely
upon a vague circular feature, which is centered around
49˚ 10’ 41” N., 88˚ 43’ 9” W. and is about 25 to 26 km in
diameter. The edge of this feature lies at the southern end of
Black Sturgeon Lake, along cliffs just north and east of Nonwaith
Lake, along a well-defined ridge, Fox Mountain, just east and
north of Disraeli Lake, and through middle of Black Mountain
Lake.

As noted by Hart and Magyars (2004), this area was mapped
by Coates (1972) at a scale of 1:63 360. This geologic map
included an interpreted geological section. Later, Sutcliffe (1982)
mapped the geology of the northeast part of this area from
immediately south of Lake Nipigon to the southern edge of
Black Sturgeon Lake at a scale of 1:50 000. Also, various
studies, i.e. Sutcliffe (1987), Hart and McDonald (2007),
Heaman et al. (2007), and Hollings et al. (2007) have
investigated in detail the areal intrusive rocks, Nipigon
diabase sills and ultramafic intrusions of the Disraeli and
Seagull–Lecky lakes areas. The sedimentary rocks of the
Sibley Group, which underlie this area have also been studied
by various investigators, i.e. Franklin et al. (1980), Chile
(1986), Regale (2003), and Frolic and Zanies (2011). Recent
geologic mapping, reports, and talks, Hart and Magyars
(2004), Magyars et al. (2004), Hart 2005a, 2005b), and Hart
and Olson (2005) provide very detailed discussion, geologic
maps, and subsurface cross-sections of the northern Black
Sturgeon River–Disraeli Lake region based upon detailed
field work conducted during the summer of 2003 and existing
subsurface data. Finally, frequent mineral exploration and
prospecting has occurred within this area. This exploration has
created a collection of lithologic logs of and actual cores from
numerous drill holes from which cross-sections of the subsurface
geology of this area have been created by Coates (1972),
Hart and Magyars (2004), Magyars et al. (2005), Hart
and Thompson (2007) and others.

The above research provide a wealth of information about
the surface and subsurface geology of this hypothesized
extraterrestrial impact structure. This feature, including its
northern, southern, and western edges, are underlain by
undeformed, relatively flat-lying sedimentary rocks of the
Sibley Group (Coates 1972;Cheadle, 1986; Regale, 2003;
Hart and Magyars, 2004; Hart, 2005a; Magyars et al., 2005).
These sedimentary rocks are interlayered with thick, concordant
Nipigon Diabase Sills (Hart, 2005a, 2005b; Hart and Magyars,
2004; Magyars et al., 2005; Hart, 2007; Easton et al., 2007;
Hollings et al., 2007). The northeastern edge of this feature
consists of a thick, relatively flat-lying, and undeformed
diabase sill, which have intruded metasedimentary rocks
and granitic and tonalite intrusives of the Quetico Subprovince
(Coates, 1972; Hart, 2005a; Hart and Magyars, 2004;
Magyars et al., 2005).

Both sedimentary rocks of the Sibley Group and the Nipigon
Diabase Sills exhibit a lack of any deformation that can be
associated with the entire circular feature hypothesized
to be an impact crater. These strata are flat-lying to slightly
dipping. They are disturbed only by regional north and
northwest-trending faults that are interpreted to have locally
created a block-faulted asymmetric basin or graben. These
faults are considered the result of the reactivation of earlier
Archean structures during the Late Proterozoic (Coates,
1972; Franklin et al., 1980; Hart and Magyars, 2004;
Magyars et al., 2005).

Only along the northeast rim is faulting even roughly
associated with the rim of this feature. The rim is not the
direct result of fault movement. Rather, its is the result
of differential erosion of less resistant sedimentary rocks
of the Sibley Group and more resistant metasedimentary
and tonalite intrusives of the Quetico Subprovince on either
side of faults. In addition, the faults are high angle faults
with orientations and dips typical of regional faulting
(Coates, 1972; Franklin et al., 1980; Hart and Magyars,
2004; Magyars et al., 2005). These faults lack the
characteristics of those exhibited by extraterrestrial
impact structures (Melosh 1989).

Furthermore, There is a complete lack of any evidence for
any recognizable structural control of the western and
southern edge of this feature, which is composed of roughly
arcuate ridges, Fox, Wolf, and Eagle mountains. The
geologic mapping and cross-sections of Coates (1972),
Hart 2005a, Hart and Magyars (2004), Magyars et al.
(2005), and Hart and Thompson (2007) show that they
consist of relatively flat-lying and undeformed sedimentary
rocks of sedimentary rocks of the Sibley Group and
interlayered sills of the Nipigon Diabase. There is a
complete absence of any deformation that could be
associated with an extraterrestrial impact (Melosh 1989).
If there is structural control to these ridges, it is the
result something considerably more subtle and cryptic
than an extraterrestrial impact.

Concerning the circular feature, which Elifritz (2009a,
2009b) proposed to be a possible Younger Dryas Impact,
there exists sufficient information to make a preliminary
evaluation of this hypothesis. The undeformed and
relatively flat-lying nature of the sedimentary strata and
interlayered diabase sills readily refutes any idea that this
feature is an impact structure any sort or age given the
25-km diameter of this feature. An extraterrestrial origin
of this feature is further refuted by the lack of any
significant consistent relationship between regional
faults and the feature and the age of the faulting.
Despite its roughly circular shape, it appears that this
circular feature is combined result of past differential
weathering and glacial and glacial and meltwater
erosion of the Proterozoic sills and Sibley Group
metasedimentary strata that has been influenced by
Proterozoic faulting and possible cryptic structural
controls.

If anything, this feature is most likely a example of the
problems with relying entirely on terrain maps (digital
elevation models) as a basis for identifying extraterrestrial
impact crates. It shows that existing geological research
also needs to be consulted before proposing any circular
feature as an impact crater. This feature is likely a
classic example of Riemold (2007)’s “Impact Crater
Bandwagon.”

References Cited,

Anonymous (2011) Clovis Comet Crater? The Cosmic Tusk

(Oct. 10, 2011) http://cosmictusk.com/clovis-comet-crater .

Chile, B. A., 1986, Alluvial-playa sedimentation in the lower 
Keweenawan Sibley Group, Thunder Bay District, Ontario. 
Canadian Journal of Earth Science. vol. 23, pp. 527-542.
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/e86-053

Coates, M. E., 1972, Geology of the Black Sturgeon River area, 
District of Thunder Bay. Geoscience Report no. 98, Ontario 
Department of Mines and Northern Affairs, Toronto, Ontario. 41p.

Easton, R. M., T. R. Hart, P. Hollings, L. A. Heaman, C. A. 
MacDonald, and M. Smyk, 2007, Further refinement to the 
timing of Mesoproterozoic magmatism, Lake Nipigon region, 
Ontario. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. vol. 44, 
pp. 1055-1086.
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/e06-117
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/toc/cjes/44/8

Elifritz, T. L., 2009a, Younger Dryas Cometary Impact Crater Near 
Lake Nipigon. Unpublished manuscript dated March 20, 2009.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/68237039/Clovis-Comet-Crater
http://webpages.charter.net/tsiolkovsky/Clovis_Comet_Crater.pdf
http://webpages.charter.net/tsiolkovsky/Clovis_Comet_Crater.jpg

Elifritz, T. L., 2009b, Darwin’s Valentine - A Cometary Impact 
Remnant Transposed Upon Glacial Terrain Near Lake Nipigon? 
Unpublished manuscript dated February 28, 2009.
http://webpages.charter.net/tsiolkovsky/Darwin's_Valentine.pdf
http://webpages.charter.net/tsiolkovsky/Darwin's_Valentine.jpg

Frolic, P., and K. Zanies, 2011, Sedimentology of a wet, 
pre-vegetation floodplain assemblage. Sedimentology.
Article first published online, Oct. 20, 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01291.x
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2011.01291.x/abstract

Franklin, J. M., W. H. McIlwaine, K. H. Poulsen, and R. K. 
Wanless, 1980, Stratigraphy and depositional setting of the
Sibley Group, Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. Canadian 
Journal of Earth Sciences. vol. 17, pp. 633-651.
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/e80-060
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/toc/cjes/17/5

Hart, T.R., 2005a, Precambrian geology of the southern Black 
Sturgeon River and Seagull Lake area, Nipigon Embayment, 
northwestern Ontario. Open File Report no. 6165, Ontario 
Geological Survey, Toronto, Ontario. 63 pp.
http://www.geologyontario.mndmf.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/OFR6165/OFR6165.pdf

Hart, T. R., 2005b, Lake Nipigon Regional Geoscience Initiative: 
Proterozoic and Archean Geology of the Southern area of the 
Western Nipigon Embayment. Ontario Geological Survey, poster, 
Northwest Mines and Minerals Symposium, Thunder Bay, 
Ontario, April 5-6.
http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/mines/ogs/Posters/OEGS_2004/Hart_OEGS_2004.pdf

Hart, T. R., and Z., Magyars, 2004, Precambrian geology of the 
northern Black SturgeonRiver and Disraeli Lake area, Nipigon 
Embayment, northwestern Ontario. Open File Report no. 6138, 
Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto, Ontario. 56p.
http://www.geologyontario.mndmf.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/OFR6138/OFR6138.pdf

Hart, T. R., and C. A. McDonald, 2007, Proterozoic and 
Archean geology of the Nipigon Embayment: implications for 
emplacement of the Mesoproterozoic Nipigon diabase sills 
and mafic to ultramafic intrusions. Canadian Journal of Earth 
Sciences. vol. 44, pp. 1021-1040.
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/e07-026
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/toc/cjes/44/8

Hart, T.R., and Olson, A. 2005. The Precambrian geology of 
the south Black Sturgeon River – Seagull Lake area, Geological 
Cross Sections, Nipigon Embayment, Northwestern Ontario. 
Preliminary Map no. P.3563, scale 1:50,000, Ontario Geological 
Survey, Toronto, Ontario.
http://www.geologyontario.mndmf.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/P3563/P3563.pdf

Magyars, Z., T. R. Hart, P. Frolic, R. Metsaranta, G. J. Heggie,
P. Hollings, and A. Richardson, 2004, Northern Black Sturgeon 
River area geological cross-sections, Nipigon Embayment, 
northwestern Ontario. Preliminary Map no. P.3540, scale 
1:50 000. Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto, Ontario.
http://www.geologyontario.mndmf.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/pub/data/imaging/P3540/P3540.pdf

Melosh, H. J., 1989, Impact cratering : a geologic process.
Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom. 245 pp.

Reimold, W. U., 2007, The Impact Crater Bandwagon (Some 
problems with the terrestrial impact cratering record) 
Meteoritics & Planetary Science. vol. 42, no. 9, pp. 1467-1472. 
http://digitalcommons.arizona.edu/objectviewer?o=uadc://azu_maps/Volume42/Number9/p1467-1472

Regale, B., 2003, The Sibley Group: a lithostratigraphic, 
geochemical and paleomagnetic study; unpublished MS.
thesis, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, 254 p.

Sutcliffe, R. H., 1982, Precambrian geology of the Wabigoon–
Quetico Subprovince boundary, Orient Bay sheet, Thunder Bay 
District. Preliminary Map no. P.2531, scale 1:50 000, Ontario 
Geological Survey, , Toronto, Ontario.

Sutcliffe, R.H. 1986. Proterozoic rift related igneous rocks at 
Lake Nipigon, Ontario. unpublished PhD thesis, University of 
Western Ontario, London, Ontario, 325p.

Yours,

Paul H.

Not just one cause for Ice Age die-off

Climate change linked to Ice-Age animal extinctions
by Wendy Koch, USA TODAY, Nov. 3, 2011
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/11/climate-change-extinction-ice-age-mammals/1?csp=34news

Climate Change Drove Extinction of Ice Age Mammals, 
Study Says, Bloombergm November 03, 2011
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-03/climate-change-drove-extinction-of-ice-age-mammals-study-says.html

Study: Not just one cause for Ice Age die-off
By Dan Vergano, November 3, 2011 
http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/8588809-418/study-not-just-one-cause-for-ice-age-die-off.html

The paper is:

Lorenzen, E. D., D. Nogués-Bravo, L. Orlando, et al., 2011, 
Species-specific responses of Late Quaternary megafauna to 
climate and humans. Nature. Published online 02 November 2011
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10574.html

Yours,

Paul H.

New Permian Extinction Paper

The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow? Maybe Not by Brian Switek, 
Science Now, 25 October 2011
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/10/the-sunll-come-out-tomorrow-mayb.html

The paper is:

Irmis, R. B., and  J. H. Whiteside, 2011, Delayed recovery of 
non-marine tetrapods after the end-Permian mass extinction 
tracks global carbon cycle. Published online before print 
October 26, 2011, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1895
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/10/19/rspb.2011.1895

Yours,

Paul H.

Hoba and Gibeon Meteorites and Roter Kamm Poster – PDF File

Roter Kamm, Hoba Meteorite, and Gibeon 
Meteorite Shower – Namibia National Treasures
http://www.mme.gov.na/gsn/posters/geological-attractions/meteorites.pdf
http://www.mme.gov.na/gsn/geological-attractions.htm

Yours,

Paul H.

Volcano... Or Giant Impact?

In [meteorite-list] Volcano... Or Giant Impact? at
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2011-October/080522.html
Michael Fowler asked:

"My guess is that the impact was at an oblique angle, 
since we have many other impact structures without 
such pyroclastic like flows. 

Anyone know where the impact crater (if preserved) 
is in relationship to the flow deposits?"

The crater is hypothesized to lie under the Minch, which is a 
strait that separates the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides 
from the north-west Highlands of Scotland. If this is the case,
then it lies at the bottom of the Minch Basin and buried beneath 
Precambrian Torridonian strata and a thickness of Permo-Triassic 
and Liassic sediments that fill this basin.

The paper is;

Amor, K., S. P. Hesselbo, D. Porcelli, S. Thackrey, and J. 
Parnell, 2008, A Precambrian proximal ejecta blanket 
from Scotland. Geology. vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 303-306.
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/36/4/303.short
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/36/4/303

A related paper is:

Related paper, in which, the ejecta blanket is interpreted
as volcanic rocks is:

Young, G. M., 2002,  Stratigraphy and geochemistry of 
volcanic mass flows in the Stac Fada Member of the 
Stoer Group, Torridonian, NW Scotland. Royal Society 
of Edinburgh Transactions: Earth Sciences. vol.  93, 
no. 1, pp. 1-16.

Web pages

The Minch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minch

Stac Fada Member
http://web2.ges.gla.ac.uk/~mlee/stac_fada/stac_fada.html

Biggest UK space impact found by Paul Rincon
BBC News, March 26, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7314329.stm

A PhD. dissertation about possible impact ejecta deposits is:

Aden, D. J., 2011, An Anomalous Breccia in the 
Mesoproterozoic (~1.1 Ga) Atar Group, Mauritania: 
Endogenic vs. Exogenic Genesis. Unpublished PhD.
dissertation, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1276614508
http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi/Aden%20Douglas%20J.pdf?ohiou1276614508

PDF file at:
http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Aden%20Douglas%20J.pdf?ohiou1276614508

Another interesting paper is:

Reimold, W. U., V. von Brunn, and C. Koeberl, 1997, Are 
Diamictites Impact Ejecta?—No Supporting Evidence from 
South African Dwyka Group Diamictite. The Journal of 
Geology. vol. 105, pp. 517–530.

PDF file at:
http://www.univie.ac.at/geochemistry/koeberl/publikation_list/128-diamictites-not-impact-J-Geol1997.pdf

A related paper is:

Huber, H., C. Koeberl, I. MacDonald, and W. U. Reimold,
2001, Geochemistry and petrology of Witwatersrand
and Dwyka diamictites from South Africa: Search for an
extraterrestrial component. Geochimica et Cosmochimica
Acta. vol. 65, no. 12, pp. 2007–2016.

The PDF file for this paper can be downloaded from:

http://www.univie.ac.at/geochemistry/koeberl/publikation_list/184-Dwyka-geochem-GCA2001.pdf

Best wishes,

Paul H.

Dating Micrometeorites Using Paleomagnetism

Below is a new paper about dating micrometeorites with 
paleomagnetism.

Suavet, C., J. Gattacceca, P. Rochette, and L. Folco,
2011, Constraining the terrestrial age of 
micrometeorites using their record of the Earth's 
magnetic field polarity. Geology. vol. 39, no. 2
pp. 123-126; DOI: 10.1130/G31655.1
http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/39/2/123.abstract
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/2/123

Yours,

Paul H.

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.