Including Original "Paul H. Letters" Copyright © 1996-2025 Paul V. Heinrich / website © 1996-2025 Dirk Ross - All rights reserved.



Sunday, 26 February 2017

Evidence of a 'Chaotic Solar System' from Cretaceous of Colorado

Evidence of a 'Chaotic Solar System' from Cretaceous of Colorado

From rocks in Colorado, evidence of a 'chaotic solar system'
University of Wisconsin-Madison, February 22, 2017
http://news.wisc.edu/from-rocks-in-colorado-evidence-of-a-chaotic-solar-system/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170222131512.htm
http://www.astrobio.net/also-in-news/rocks-colorado-evidence-chaotic-solar-system/

The paper is:

Ma, C., S. R. Meyers, and B. B. Sageman. Theory of chaotic
orbital variations confirmed by Cretaceous geological evidence.
Nature, 2017; 542 (7642): 468-470 DOI: 10.1038/nature21402
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v542/n7642/full/nature21402.html

Related paper:

Sageman, B. B., J. Rich, M. A. Arthur, G. E. Birchfield, and
W. E. Dean, 1997, Evidence for Milankovitch Periodicities in
Cenomanian-Turonian Lithologic and Geochemical Cycles,
Western Interior U.S.A. Journal of Sedimentary Research,
Section B: Stratigraphy and Global Studies Vol. 67 (1997)
No. 2. (March), Pages 286-302
http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/research/sageman/PDF/97.Sageman.etal.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Thursday, 23 February 2017

After Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly

Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly

After Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly, Fossils
Suggest, Trilobites, Nichlos ST. Fleur, New york times, Feb. 16, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/science/great-dying-permian-extinction-fossils.html

New fossil discovery suggests sea life bounced back after the 'Great
Dying' faster than thought, PhysOrg, February 16, 2017
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-fossil-discovery-sea-life-great.html

The paper is:

Brayard, A., Krumenacker, L.J., Botting, J.P., Jenks, J.F., Bylund, K.G.,
Fara, E., Vennin, E., Olivier, N., Goudemand, N., Saucède, T. and
Charbonnier, S., 2017. Unexpected Early Triassic marine ecosystem
and the rise of the Modern evolutionary fauna. Science Advances,
3(2), p.e1602159.
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1602159

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday, 19 February 2017

Who Isn’t Profiting Off the Backs of Researchers?

Who Isn’t Profiting Off the Backs of Researchers?

Below are a couple of though provoking essays. Needless to say,
they do not necessarily represent my opinions, just that it is a
matter that the producers and consumers of scientific research
meteorites and other matters have to deal with in their lives.

Dear Scholars, Delete Your Account At Academia.Edu
Sarah Bond, Forbes, #WhoaScience, January 23, 2017
http://www.forbes.com/sites/drsarahbond/2017/01/23/dear-scholars-delete-your-account-at-academia-edu/

A response to the above article is:

Who Isn’t Profiting Off the Backs of Researchers?
Jon Tennant, The Crux, February 1, 2017
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2017/02/01/who-isnt-profiting-off-the-backs-of-researchers/

Green Tea and Velociraptors, Jon Tennant
(Papers on open access and scientific publishing)
https://tinyurl.com/jogxpel

Yours,

Paul H.

Monday, 13 February 2017

Modeling Impact Breaching of Europa's Ice Crust

Modeling Impact Breaching of Europa's Ice Crust

Life on Europa may have been sparked by COMETS: Rocks carrying biological material could have penetrated the moon's thick crust to reach the oceans beneath
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3273914/Life-Europa-sparked-COMETS-Rocks-carrying-biological-material-penetrated-moon-s-crust-reach-oceans-beneath.html

The paper is:

Cox, R. and Bauer, A.W., 2015. Impact breaching of Europa's ice:
Constraints from numerical modeling. Journal of Geophysical
Research: Planets, 120(10), pp.1708-1719.
https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~awb/data/Cox_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research-_Planets.pdf
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Impact-Breaching-of-Europa-s-Ice-Constraints-from-Cox-Bauer/724dfc775b2e1d4e8e651261f49083743e9f6bbd

https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~awb/data/Cox_et_al-2015-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research-_Planets.pdf

Another paper is:

Cox, R., *Ong, L.C.F., Arakawa, M., and *Scheider, K.C., 2008
Impact penetration of Europa’s ice crust as a mechanism for
formation of chaos terrain, Meteoritics and Planetary Science,
v. 43 (12), p. 2027-2048.
http://sites.williams.edu/rcox/publications/
http://sites.williams.edu/rcox/files/2013/01/Cox_EtAl_2008_MAPS.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

New Insight into Silica Explains Planetary Smashup

New Insight into Silica Explains Planetary Smashup

New Insight into Silica Explains Planetary Smashup
Earth & Space Science News, Eos, vol. 98, no. 2, p. 43.
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/new-insight-into-silica-explains-planetary-smashup
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309873404_New_Insight_into_Silica_Explains_Planetary_Smashup

There are other interesting science articles in the
February 2017 issue (vol. 98, no. 2) of "EOS" at:
https://eos.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Feb-17_magazine.pdf?x35494

The paper is:

Connolly, J.A., 2016. Liquid‐vapor phase relations in the Si‐O
system: A calorically constrained van der Waals‐type model.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 121(9), pp.1641-1666.
http://www.perplex.ethz.ch/papers.html
http://www.perplex.ethz.ch/papers/Connolly_JGR_Planets_2016.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday, 12 February 2017

First Nuclear Explosion Helps Test Theory of Moon's Formation

First Nuclear Explosion Helps Test Theory of Moon's Formation

First nuclear explosion helps test theory of moon's formation
By Annie Reisewitz, Univ. of California, San Diego, February 9, 2017
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/first-nuclear-explosion-helps-test-theory-moons-formation
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-nuclear-explosion-theory-moon-formation.html

Glass from nuclear test site shows the moon was born dry
New Scientist, February 8, 2017
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2120748-glass-from-nuclear-test-site-shows-the-moon-was-born-dry/

Day, J. D. M., F. Moynier, A. P. Meshik, O. V. Pradivtseva,
and D. R. Petit, 2017, Evaporative fractionation of zinc during
the first nuclear detonation Science Advances. Vol. 3, no. 2, e1602668
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602668 CCBY-NC
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1602668
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1602668.full

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday, 5 February 2017

No link between gigantic Ordovician asteroid break-up, rise in biodiversity (open access paper)

No link between gigantic Ordovician asteroid break-up, rise in biodiversity (open access paper)

Myth busted: No link between gigantic asteroid break-up,
rise in biodiversity, University of Copenhagen, February 3, 2017
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170203110156.htm
https://phys.org/news/2017-01-meteorites-enrich-ocean-life.html

the paper is;

Lindskog, A., M. M. Costa, C.M.Ø. Rasmussen, J. N. Connelly,
and M. E. Eriksson, 2017, Refined Ordovician timescale reveals
no link between asteroid breakup and biodiversification.
Nature Communications, 2017; 8: 14066 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14066
http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1038/ncomms14066

Yours,

Paul H.

Dwarf planet Ceres may have vanishing ice volcanoes

Dwarf planet Ceres may have vanishing ice volcanoes

American Geophysical Union, February 2, 2017
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-ceres-ice-volcanoes.html

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170202123044.htm



Ceres' vanishing ice volcanoes: Dwarf planet may havehad 'cryovolcanoes' millions of years ago that flattened out over time, leaving just one behind, Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4186036/Study-investigates-Ceres-vanishing-ice-volcanoes.html

The paper is:

Michael M. Sori, Shane Byrne, M. T. Bland, A. M. Bramson,

A. I. Ermakov, C. W. Hamilton, K. A. Otto, O. Ruesch, and

C. T. Russell, 2017, The vanishing cryovolcanoes of Ceres.

Geophysical Research Letters, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/2016GL072319

Yours,

Paul H.

Evidence of 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars

Evidence of 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars

Evidence of 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars
Meteorite found in Africa provides clues to evolution
of the red planet, University of Houston, February 2, 2017
http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2017/February/02012017mars-volcano-meteorite.php
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170202090848.htm
https://phys.org/news/2017-02-evidence-billion-years-volcanic-mars.html

The paper is:

Lapen, T. J., M. Righter, R. Andreasen, A. J. Irving,
A. M. Satkoski, B. L. Beard, K. Nishiizumi, A. J. T. Jull,
and M. W. Caffee. Two billion years of magmatism
recorded from a single Mars meteorite ejection site.
Science Advances, 2017; 3 (2): e1600922 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1600922
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1600922

Yours,

Paul H.

Saturday, 28 January 2017

Articles About Meteorites And Asteroids

Articles About Meteorites And Asteroids

Meteorite Studies Reveal Surprises About Earth's Formation
By Elizabeth Howell, SpaceCom, January 26, 2017
http://www.space.com/35468-earth-building-blocks-different-than-thought.html

Nice picture of Meteorite On Mars

Curiosity Finds An(other) Alien Visitor on Mars
Earth Isn't the Only Planet Hit by Meteorites. Mars Gets
Them, Too. by Phil Plait, Blog-Slate Magazine, January 23, 2017
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2017/01/23/curiosity_sees_a_meteorite_on_the_surface_of_mars.html

This image was taken by Mastcam: Right (MAST_RIGHT)
onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 1577
(2017-01-12 11:21:52 UTC). NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1577MR0080320000800289E01_DXXX&s=1577

Deflecting Asteroids

Objective: To deflect asteroids, thus preventing their collision
with Earth Space Daily, Madrid, Spain, January 27, 2017
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Objective_To_deflect_asteroids_thus_preventing_their_collision_with_Earth_999.html

Scientists working on deflecting asteroids headed for Earth
The Indian Express, January 27, 2017
http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/scientists-working-on-deflecting-asteroids-headed-for-earth-4493719/

Yours,

Paul H.

Deflecting Asteroids

Deflecting Asteroids

Objective: To deflect asteroids, thus preventing their collision
with Earth Space Daily, Madrid, Spain, January 27, 2017
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Objective_To_deflect_asteroids_thus_preventing_their_collision_with_Earth_999.html

Scientists working on deflecting asteroids headed for Earth
The Indian Express, January 27, 2017
http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/scientists-working-on-deflecting-asteroids-headed-for-earth-4493719/

Yours,

Paul H.

Nice Picture of Meteorite On Mars

Nice Picture of Meteorite On Mars

Curiosity Finds An(other) Alien Visitor on Mars
Earth Isn't the Only Planet Hit by Meteorites. Mars Gets
Them, Too. by Phil Plait, Blog-Slate Magazine, January 23, 2017
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2017/01/23/curiosity_sees_a_meteorite_on_the_surface_of_mars.html

This image was taken by Mastcam: Right (MAST_RIGHT)
onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 1577
(2017-01-12 11:21:52 UTC). NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1577MR0080320000800289E01_DXXX&s=1577

Yours,

Paul H.

Thursday, 26 January 2017

Online Comet and Meteorite Lectures

Online Comet and Meteorite Lectures

P33I Whipple Lecture:
The Complex Evolution of Comet Nuclei
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Published on Aug 4, 2015
AGU Fall Meeting 2011 - P33I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf4irGb8QLE

The meaning of meteorites
Royal Astronomical Society
Published on Mar 24, 2015
Royal Astronomical Society public lecture, 10 February 2015
by Dr Ted Nield, Geoscientist Magazine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lgd_bJELtM

Yours,

Paul H.

Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Rare meteorites common in the Ordovician period

Rare meteorites common in the Ordovician period

A 466-million-year-old space collision is still raining shrapnel
on Earth By Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, January 23, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/23/a-466-million-year-old-space-collision-is-still-raining-shrapnel-down-on-earth/

Today’s rare meteorites were once common, The Field Museum,
Monday, January 23, 2017
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/science/blog/todays-rare-meteorites-were-once-common

The paper is:

Heck, P. R., B. Schmitz, W. F. Bottke, S. S. Rout, N. T. Kita, A. Cronholm,
C. Defouilloy, A. Dronov, and F. Terfelt, 2017, Rare meteorites common
in the Ordovician period. Nature Astronomy 1, Article number: 0035 (2017)
doi:10.1038/s41550-016-0035
http://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-016-0035

Yours,

Paul H.

Monday, 23 January 2017

Cosmic dust found in city rooftop gutters

Cosmic dust found in city rooftop gutters
PhysOrg, December 7, 2016

https://phys.org/news/2016-12-cosmic-city-rooftop-gutters.html

http://www.sciencealert.com/cosmic-dust-has-been-discovered-on-city-rooftops-for-the-first-time

The paper is:
Genge, M.J., J. Larsen, M. Van Ginneken, and M.D. Suttle, 2016,
An urban collection of modern-day large micrometeorites:
Evidence for variations in the extraterrestrial dust flux through
the Quaternary. Geology, First published online December 2016,
doi: 10.1130/G38352.1

http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/12/05/G38352.1.abstract

https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/42484/9/Geology-2016-Genge-G38352.1.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday, 15 January 2017

Multiple-Impact Theory of Moon's Origin Revisited

Multiple-Impact Theory of Moon's Origin Revisited

Study suggests Earth once had many moonlets — until they
merged to form the moon By Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/10/study-suggests-earth-once-had-many-moonlets-until-they-merged-to-form-the-moon/

How Earth's previous moons collided to form the moon:
New theory. American Technion Society, January 9, 2017
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170109125125.htm

The Many-Moons Theory by Alan Burdick, The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-many-moons-theory

The paper is:

Rufu, R., O. Aharonson, and H. B. Perets, 2016, A multiple-
impact origin for the Moon. Nature Geoscience (2017)
doi:10.1038/ngeo2866 Received 14 September 2016
Accepted 30 November 2016 Published online 09 January 2017
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo2866.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Moon Zircons dated at 4.51 Billion Years

Moon Zircons dated at 4.51 Billion Years

The moon is older than scientists thought, UCLA-led
research team reports< UCLA Newsroom, January 11, 2017
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/the-moon-is-older-than-scientists-thought-ucla-led-research-team-reports

Scientists: Moon over the hill at 4.51 billion years old
By Marcia Dunn and Associated Press, Washington Post,
January 13, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-moon-is-older-than-scientists-thought/2017/01/13/7633e5f2-d83a-11e6-9a36-1d296534b31e_story.html

Moon is much older than we thought, scientists find
The Independent, Andrew Griffen, January 12, 2017
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/moon-age-how-old-earth-planet-satellite-science-scientists-ucla-a7524071.html

the paper is:

Barboni, M., P. Boehnke, B. Keller, I. E. Kohl, B. Schoene,
E. D. Young, and Kevin D. McKeegan, 2016, Early formation
of the Moon 4.51 billion years ago. Science Advances.
Vol. 3, no. 1, e1602365,DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602365
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/1/e160236
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/1/e1602365.figures-only

Yours,

Paul H.

Sunday, 25 December 2016

Two New Papers About Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis

Two New Papers About Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis

There are two new papers about the Younger Dryas
Impact Hypotheses

Studies refute hypothesis on what caused abrupt climate
change thousands of years ago, ScienceDaily, December 19, 2016
https://source.wustl.edu/2016/12/case-missing-diamonds/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219115304.htm

Missing Diamonds Don't Support Case for Younger Dryas
Impact, Washington University in St. Louis, Dec. 20, 2016
http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=50132

The papers are:

Daulton, T. L., S. Amari, A. C. Scott, M. Hardiman, N. Pinter, and
R. S. Anderson, 2016, Comprehensive analysis of nanodiamond
evidence relating to the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis.
Journal of Quaternary Science, Early View, First published:
19 December 2016, DOI: 10.1002/jqs.2892
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jqs.2892/abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/jqs.2892/asset/jqs2892.pdf

Scott, A. C., M. Hardiman, N. Pinter, S. Anderson, T. L. Daulton,
A. Ejarque, P. Finch, and A. Carter-Champion, 2016, Interpreting
palaeofire evidence from fluvial sediments : a case study from
Santa Rosa Island, California with implications for the Younger
Dryas Impact Hypothesis. Journal of Quaternary Science.
First published: 19 December 2016, DOI: 10.1002/jqs.2914
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jqs.2914/abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jqs.2914/epdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Friday, 16 December 2016

Big Diamonds Bring Scientists A Message From Superdeep Earth

Big Diamonds Bring Scientists A Message From Superdeep Earth

Big Diamonds Bring Scientists A Message From Superdeep Earth
NPR
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/15/505386423/big-diamonds-bring-scientists-a-message-from-superdeep-earth

Large, rare diamonds offer window into inner workings of Earth's mantle
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/gioa-lrd120716.php
http://phys.org/news/2016-12-biggest-diamonds-deep-mantle-metallic.html
http://www.livescience.com/57222-biggest-diamonds-form-in-liquid-metal-pools.html

Diamonds: Huge, rare precious stones form 750km underground in
Earth's mantle, International Business Times UK
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/huge-rare-diamonds-are-born-pools-liquid-metal-deep-below-earths-surface-1596725

the paper is:

Smith, E. M., S. B. Shirey, F. Nestola, and others, 2016, Large gem
diamonds from metallic liquid in Earth’s deep mantle. Science.
Vol. 354, Issue 6318, pp. 1403-1405. DOI: 10.1126/science.aal1303
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6318/1403

Yours,

Paul H.