View and search online for US geologic maps using USGS map viewer 11JUL2022

View and search online for US geologic maps using USGS map viewer

You can now view and search online for geologic
maps for the United States with the USGS National
Geologic Map Database Viewer (Beta Version).
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/mapview/?center=-97,39.6&zoom=4

Different scale geologic maps show at different
magnifications. Also, the "Filter Maps by the Following
Scale Bin" menu needs to be used to view different scale
geologic maps.

Wetumpka, Alabama
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/mapview/?center=-86.181,32.524&zoom=13

Sierra Madera, Pecos County, Texas
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/mapview/?center=-102.908,30.6&zoom=13

Yours,

Paul H.

Behold the Weird Physics of Double-Impact Asteroids 10JUL2022

Behold the Weird Physics of Double-Impact Asteroids

Behold the Weird Physics of Double-Impact Asteroids
Mars is littered with craters made by binary asteroids.
These collisions are as intriguing as they are powerful.
Jonathan O,Callaghan, Wired Magazine, June 27, 2022
https://www.wired.com/story/mars-binary-asteroid-craters/

An amusing tale.

The Giant, Prehistoric Squid That Ate Common Sense
Brian Switek, Wired Magazine, Oct. 2011
https://www.wired.com/2011/10/the-giant-prehistoric-squid-that-ate-common-sense/

Yours,

Paul H.

New double crater seen on the moon 28JUN2022

New double crater seen on the moon

Found: Booster impact Crater on the Farside of the Moon.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission has found the
impact site created March 4th. The crater might help reveal
the impactor’s identity. Sky and Telescope, June 27, 2022
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/impact-crater-farside-moon/

New double crater seen on the moon after mystery
rocket impact By Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt,
CNN, June 27, 2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/27/world/rocket-moon-impact-crater-scn/index.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Georgiaites, Tektites from Georgia 22JUN2022

Georgiaites, Tektites from Georgia

14J: Georgiaites, Tektites from Georgia. By Thomas Thurman
https://www.georgiasfossils.com/14j-georgias-tektites-georgiaites.html

Georgia fossils By Thomas Thurman
https://www.georgiasfossils.com/2-trilobites-500-million-years-ago.html

Related publications:

Harris, R. S., 2009, Upper Eocene Impact Stratigraphy
of the Georgia Coastal Plain. Department of Geosciences,
Georgia State University. Georgia Geological Society
Guidebook, Volume 29, pgs 25-34, 2009
https://www.westga.edu/~ggsweb/ggspubs/guidebooks_cd/2009/GGS2009.pdf

https://www.westga.edu/~ggsweb/fieldtrip/fieldtrips.html


Harris, R.S., 2003, March. Re-Evaluating the Origin
of an Upper Eocene Diamictite in the Coastal Plain
of East-Central Georgia: An Impactoclastic Layer?.
In Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (p. 1965).
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2003/pdf/1965.pdf


Yours,

Paul H.

New papers about hypothetical, Pleistocene Saginaw Bay impact 12MAY2022

New papers about hypothetical, Pleistocene Saginaw Bay impact

The Geological Society of America recently published two new Papers arguing for a hypothetical, Pleistocene Saginaw Bay impact
In their “In the Footsteps of Warren B. Hamilton: New Ideas in Earth Science” volume. They are:



Davias, M.E., and Harris, T.H.S., 2022, Postulating an unconventional location for the missing mid-Pleistocene transition impact: Repaving North America with a cavitated regolith blanket while dispatching Australasian tektites and giving Michigan a thumb, in Foulger, G.R., Hamilton, L.C., Jurdy, D.M., Stein, C.A., Howard, K.A., and Stein, S., eds., In the Footsteps of Warren B. Hamilton:
New Ideas in Earth Science: Geological Society of America Special Paper 553, https://doi.org/10.1130/2021.2553(24).
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/books/book/2323/chapter/132525009/Postulating-an-unconventional-location-for-the


Harris, T.H.S., 2022, Terrestrial ejecta suborbital transport and the rotating frame transform, in Foulger, G.R., Hamilton, L.C., Jurdy,
D.M., Stein, C.A., Howard, K.A., and Stein, S., eds., In the Footsteps of Warren B. Hamilton: New Ideas in Earth Science:
Geological Society of America Special Paper 553, p. 1–22, https://doi.org/10.1130/2021.2553(23). (open access)
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/books/book/2323/chapter/132758923/Terrestrial-ejecta-suborbital-transport-and-the


Klokočník, J., Bezděk, A., and Kostelecký, J., 2022, Gravity field aspects for identification of cosmic impact structures on Earth, in
Foulger, G.R., Hamilton, L.C., Jurdy, D.M., Stein, C.A., Howard, K.A., and Stein, S., eds., In the Footsteps of Warren B. Hamilton:
New Ideas in Earth Science: Geological Society of America Special Paper 553, p. 251–260, https://doi.org/10.1130/2021.2553(21).
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/books/book/2323/chapter/132964534/Gravity-field-aspects-for-identification-of-cosmic

https://www.asu.cas.cz/~jklokocn/spe553-21-final.pdf


The seemingly annual conference presentations by M. E. Davias, about their ideas can be found on their web pages at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Davias-2/research

Enjoy,

Paul H.

Impacts that produce K-feldspar-rich ejecta blankets correspond to mass extinctions 12APR2022

Impacts that produce K-feldspar-rich ejecta blankets correspond to mass extinctions

New open access paper about mass extinctions.

Pankhurst, M.J., Stevenson, C.J. and Coldwell, B.C., 2021. Meteorites
that produce K-feldspar-rich ejecta blankets correspond to mass extinctions.
Journal of the Geological Society. 179, jgs2021-055, 1 December 2021,
https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2021-055
https://jgs.lyellcollection.org/content/179/3/jgs2021-055

Yours,

Paul H.

Distinguishing volcanic from impact glasses 06MAR2022

Distinguishing volcanic from impact glasses

Ferrière, L., Crósta, A.P., Wegner, W., Libowitzky, E.,
Iwashita, F. and Koeberl, C., 2021. Distinguishing
volcanic from impact glasses—The case of the Cali glass
(Colombia). Geology, 49(12), pp.1421-1425.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354386557_Distinguishing_volcanic_from_impact_glasses-The_case_of_the_Cali_glass_Colombia


More papers by Dr. Crosta at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alvaro-Crosta/research

Another paper about impact glasses is:

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.
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/50/2/205/609354/Widespread-glasses-generated-by-cometary-fireballs


Yours,

Paul H.

Geologic Names and Usage: A Guide to (North American) Stratigraphic Nomenclature 05MAR2022

Geologic Names and Usage: A Guide to (North American) Stratigraphic Nomenclature

Below is a recording of an interesting webinar about North American
Stratigraphic Nomenclature.

Geologic Names and Usage: A Guide to Stratigraphic Nomenclature
American Geosciences Institute, webinar, March 4, 2022
https://www.americangeosciences.org/webinars/geologic-names-usage-stratigraphic-nomenclature


Geologic Names and Usage: A Guide to Stratigraphic Nomenclature
Youtube version of above video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O47p8xLkHmA


More videos are available from American Geosciences Institute's YouTube
channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/AmericanGeosciences/videos


There is also:

Geolex — Stratigraphic Resources
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/stratres

North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature,
2005. North American stratigraphic code. AAPG Bulletin, 89(11),
pp.1547-1591.
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/resources/docs/NACSN_Code_2021.pdf


Yours,

Paul H.

Satellite Spots Massive Asteroid Impact Crater in China 04MAR2022

Satellite Spots Massive Asteroid Impact Crater in China

Satellite Spots Massive Asteroid Impact Crater in China
Though missing some of its rim, the recently discovered
impact site is clearly recognizable from above.
By Isaac Schultz, Gizmodo,
https://gizmodo.com/satellite-spots-massive-asteroid-impact-crater-in-china-1848602154

Young Impact Crater Uncovered in Yilan, China
By Sara E. Pratt, SciTechDaily, March 3, 022
https://scitechdaily.com/young-impact-crater-uncovered-in-yilan-china/

Chen, M., Xie, X., Xiao, W. and Tan, D., 2019. Yilan crater, a
newly identified impact structure in northeast China. Chinese
Science Bulletin, 65(10), pp.948-954.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340299662_Yilan_crater_a_newly_identified_impact_structure_in_northeast_China

Chen, M., Koeberl, C., Tan, D., Ding, P., Xiao, W., Wang, N.,
Chen, Y. and Xie, X., 2021. Yilan crater, China: Evidence for
an origin by meteorite impact. Meteoritics & Planetary Science,
56(7), pp.1274-1292.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353551842_Yilan_crater_China_Evidence_for_an_origin_by_meteorite_impact


More papers by Xie Xiande, Chinese Academy of Sciences
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Xie-Xiande


Yours,

Paul H.

Australian impact cratering record: Updates and recent discoveries 21DEC2021

Australian impact cratering record: Updates and recent discoveries

Quintero, R.R., Cavosie, A.J., Cox, M.A., Miljković, K. and Dugdale, A., 2021. 

Australian impact cratering record: Updates and recent discoveries. 

Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution VI, Geological Society of America
Special Paper 550, pp. 41-69
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352849799_Australian_impact_cratering_record_Updates_and_recent_discoveries

Another paper:

Cavosie, A.J., Quintero, R.R., Radovan, H.A. and Moser, D.E., 2010. 

A record of ancient cataclysm in modern sand: Shock microstructures in detrital minerals from the Vaal
River, Vredefort Dome, South Africa. Bulletin, 122(11-12), pp.1968-1980.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249526675_A_record_of_ancient_cataclysm_in_modern_sand_Shock_microstructures_in_detrital_minerals_from_the_Vaal_River_Vredefort_Dome_South_Africa

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Raiza-Quintero

Yours,

Paul H.

Citing the Referees at the Journal that Rejected You 28NOV2021

Citing the Referees at the Journal that Rejected You

Citing the Referees at the Journal that Rejected You
By Justin Weinberg, Dailynous, May 7, 2020
https://dailynous.com/2020/05/07/citing-referees-journal-rejected/

You may not like it when your article is rejected from a journal, but at least sometimes you get something
good out of it: criticism.

Yours,

Paul H.

Prehistoric Tunguska-sized Airburst in Jordan Valley 22SEP2021

Prehistoric Tunguska-sized Airburst in Jordan Valley

Bunch, T.E., LeCompte, M.A., Adedeji, A.V. et al. 

A Tunguska sized airburst destroyed Tall el-Hammam a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea. Sci Rep 11, 18632 (2021).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97778-3

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97778-3

Yours,

Paul H.

OT: LIVE: Volcano erupts on La Palma in the Canary Islands 20SEP2021

OT: LIVE: Volcano erupts on La Palma in the Canary Islands

Not meteorites, but still cool geology, look at LIVE: Volcano erupts on La Palma in the Canary Islands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmQVquojJfo

I hope those are not urban lights in the foreground.
I do not know what the background chatter is about.

Stay Safe,

Paul

Photogrammetric documentation of geologic features with a smartphone 05SEP2021

Photogrammetric documentation of geologic features with a smartphone

Below is an open access paper about photogrammetric documentation of geologic features in the field with a smartphone.

Corradetti, A., Seers, T.D., Billi, A. and Tavani, S., 2021.
Virtual Outcrops in a Pocket: The Smartphone as a Fully Equipped Photogrammetric Data Acquisition Tool. GSA Today, 31(9)
https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/Publications/GSA_Today/features/GSA/GSAToday/science/G506A/article.aspx

Related paper is:

Tavani, S., Corradetti, A., Granado, P., Snidero, M., Seers, T.D., and Mazzoli, S., 2019, 

Smartphone: An alternative to ground control points for orienting virtual outcrop models and assessing their quality: Geosphere, v. 15, p. 2043–2052,
https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02167.1

https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/15/6/2043/574968/Smartphone-An-alternative-to-ground-control-points

Yours,

Paul H.

Why don’t we see more meteorites after big asteroid belt collisions? 16AUG2021

Why don’t we see more meteorites after big asteroid belt collisions?

Why don’t we see more meteorites after big asteroid belt collisions?
Terrawatch Meteors, Kate Ravilious, The Guardian, August 3, 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/03/terrawatch-why-dont-we-seemore-meteorites-after-big-asteroid-belt-collisions

The paper is:

Terfelt, F. and Schmitz, B., 2021. Asteroid break-ups and meteorite delivery to Earth the past 500 million years. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(24) no. e2020977118.
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/24/e2020977118.short

Yours,

Paul H.

4.6 billion-year-old meteorite found in horseshoe footprint 16AUG2021

4.6 billion-year-old meteorite found in horseshoe footprint

4.6 billion-year-old meteorite found in horseshoe footprint
By Stephanie Pappas, Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/rare-carbonaceous-carbonate-meteorite-found.html

The meteorite is a rare carbonaceous chondrite

Yours,

Paul H.

A 4,565-My-old andesite from an extinct chondritic protoplanet 10AUG2021

A 4,565-My-old andesite from an extinct chondritic protoplanet

4.6-billion-year-old meteorite belongs to Earth’s long-lost baby cousin
By Mindy Weisberger, Live Science, March 8, 2021
A protoplanet in the early solar system spawned a unique type of meteorite
https://www.livescience.com/meteorite-asteroid-early-solar-system.html

Meteoritical Bulletin Database
Last update: 28 Mar 2021
Meteorite Bulletin 109
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=72475

Barrat, J.A., Chaussidon, M., Yamaguchi, A., Beck, P., Villeneuve, J., Byrne, D.J., Broadley, M.W. and Marty, B., 2021. 

A 4,565-My-old andesite from an extinct chondritic protoplanet. 

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(11).

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/11/e2026129118.short

Yours,

Paul H.

Chicxulub impact tsunami megaripples in the subsurface of Louisiana 14JUL2021

Chicxulub impact tsunami megaripples in the subsurface of Louisiana

Giant tsunami from dino-killing asteroid impact revealed in fossilized ‘megaripples’
By Akila Raghavan, AAAS Science, Jul. 12, 2021
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/07/giant-tsunami-dino-killing-asteroid-impact-revealed-fossilized-megaripples

The paper is:

Kinsland, G.L., Egedahl, K., Strong, M.A. and Ivy, R.,2021. 

Chicxulub impact tsunami megaripples in the subsurface of Louisiana: Imaged in petroleum industry
seismic data. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 570, no.117063.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X21003186

Yours,

Paul H.

Meteorites and impacts: research, cataloguing and geoethics 28JUN2021

Meteorites and impacts: research, cataloguing and geoethics

Martínez-Frías, J., Meteorites and impacts: research, cataloguing and geoethics.
Seminarios SEM 10:75–87. Deposito legal: CA-602-2004 / ISSN: 1698-5478
http://www.ehu.eus/sem/seminario_pdf/SeminSEMv10p75-87.pdf

Pratesi, G. and Franza, A., 2021. Mineralogical, petrological and planetological
heritage. The (Italian) story so far. Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali,
32(1), pp.95-116. Open access
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12210-020-00970-2

Yours,

Paul H.

Two new publications about the Hiawatha impact crater, Greenland 07JUN2021

Two new publications about the Hiawatha impact crater, Greenland

Gustafsson, J., 2020. Impactites from the Hiawatha crater, North-West Greenland. unpublished MS thesis, Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden. open access
Abstract
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1512393&dswid=2029

PDF file
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1512393/FULLTEXT01.pdf


Silber, E.A., Johnson, B.C., Bjonnes, E., MacGregor, J.A., Larsen, N.K. and Wiggins, S.E., 2021. 

Effect of ice sheet thickness on formation of the Hiawatha impact crater.
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 566, p.116972.
Abstract
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X21002314

Preprints
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350964340_Effect_of_ice_sheet_thickness_on_formation_of_the_Hiawatha_impact_crater

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2104.07909.pdf%E2%80%8B

Yours

Paul H.